Who says he's not acting?
by I Need Space - And Fresh Air
Summary: Blaine is visiting his brother for the week and by chance crosses paths with Kurt twice before they really get to talking. Though they hit it off extremely well, a missed opportunity to share one of the most important aspects of his life causes Blaine to think about pulling away before he even allows himself the chance to figure out what he really wants and who he really is.
1. Monday

A/N - Welcome! I'm putting up this first chapter to test the waters (and to give myself the extra nudge I need to finish writing this as soon as I am able...). Though the colleges Kurt and Blaine go/went to are real, I ask you to suspend disbelief for the academic and geographic inaccuracies I committed in order to advance the plot as I saw fit. (Also, I know nothing of the world of professional piano playing. A thousand apologies in advance.) As of right now, this fic will take place Monday through Friday, with each chapter being its own day. Thank you for taking this journey with me :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.

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MONDAY

When he got to the practice room and saw a note on the door saying his singing lesson was cancelled, Kurt found himself with a free hour before acting class and no idea what to do with himself.

Strike that – he had plenty of ideas of what he should be doing (catching up on reading for his classes that week, getting in an extra vocal lesson practice, working on some sketches for his costume design class) – but it was too nice a day to be inside. He decided to grab some coffee and head for the park. Though he would have rather shirk his assignments, he thought he could get some drawing done while he sat under a tree or something.

Kurt Hummel was in his second semester of his freshman year of college at Point Park University. Though his hopes were initially dashed when he didn't get into NYADA, Kurt loved Point Park's Theatre Arts program and honestly couldn't see himself anywhere else. He loved being at a great performing arts school that was still relatively close to his family in Ohio. He still felt a few pangs of jealousy every time he heard from a friend studying in New York, but on a whole Kurt was happy where he ended up.

After getting his mocha, he strolled to the park and found an empty picnic table in the shade. Though it was only April and still a little chilly, Kurt never sat out in the sun if he could help it because of his fair skin. He pulled out his sketchpad and a pencil from his satchel and placed them on the table in front of him. Kurt took a deep breath, letting his lungs fill with the fresh spring air. He smiled to himself, took a sizable swallow of coffee and then put pencil to paper.

Because his lesson was cancelled, Kurt had a decent chunk of time to sit and draw if he wanted to. Minutes flew by as he brought his nose closer to the table and drew, deep in concentration. By time he put the finishing touches on a jester costume for his Shakespearean Comedy assignment, over an hour had passed since he first sat down and Kurt's coffee was cold (though he didn't know that when he went to take a gulp). In addition to the unexpected temperature, the coffee went down the wrong pipe.

As he choked on his drink, Kurt heard someone say behind him, "Are you okay?" Kurt's nodded even though his throat burned from the coughing and his eyes were full of tears that he tried to fight back. He was more embarrassed than anything that someone was there to see him make such a scene. He didn't dare turn around until he heard that same voice ask again, "Are you sure? Would water help? I mean, I have some here. Let me…"

Kurt blindly set his coffee cup down on the table and used the back of his hand to wipe away the tears that were streaming down his cheeks. He heard rustling behind him that stopped soon after it started, followed by someone walking up behind him. A hand reached over his shoulder and placed a water bottle on the table in front of Kurt. "Here. It hasn't been open or tampered with, I swear." Through his teary eyes, Kurt watched the hand let go of the bottle and retract itself back over his shoulder.

From the voice and the hand, Kurt knew his helper was a guy probably around his age, which wasn't a surprise since he was sitting in a park in the middle of campus. Kurt's first thought was that this guy sounded handsome even though he knew that was silly and completely not something he should have been thinking about while he was coughing. He covered his mouth as he turned to face the stranger who was being so nice to him.

"Thank you," Kurt managed to get out in between coughs as he looked up at the guy standing behind him. "I – " Kurt was almost grateful to still be coughing because he was at a loss for words when he saw the face that belonged to the voice.

Though they were hidden behind thin, black, rectangular frames, Kurt was drawn to the other boy's eyes. They were warm and sincere, and looked as if someone took all the various colors of green, brown and gray crayons, melted them down and swirled them together to make those eyes.

The dark, triangular eyebrows above those eyes animatedly furrowed themselves while Kurt tried to settle himself. He grabbed the water bottle off the table and gave a feeble smile though his coughs as he unscrewed the lid and took a small sip. As the coughing subsided he took a few more careful drinks, during which he tried to inconspicuously get a better look at the rest of his helper.

Voice, eyes and eyebrows guy was average in height but made up for it everywhere else. He was dressed in sinfully tight jeans and a dark green sweater with a white t-shirt underneath. The sleeves of the sweater were pushed up; revealing toned and seemingly tanned arms. A thick strap crossed over his chest and was attached to an acoustic guitar that rested against his back as if it were a backpack.

"You okay?" There was that voice again, causing Kurt to return his eyes to the other guy's face. Genuine concern was causing the most adorable creases across the other guy's forehead. Only a couple lines were visible, as dark curls spun down toward his eyebrows and Kurt couldn't help but think it would be fun to tug on them only to watch them bounce back into place.

Cool it, Hummel, he thought to himself. You don't want to scare off the handsome stranger with your creepy staring.

Kurt nodded as he recapped the water bottle and set it down on the table. The handsome stranger broke out into a crooked grin and looked relived. "Thank you for the water," Kurt said sheepishly, wishing he could have met this handsome stranger under different circumstances then him choking on his cold coffee.

"You're welcome," the handsome stranger replied, grin spreading wider.

Just then, a bell chimed from a tower on campus and Kurt's eyebrows shot up. "Shit, what time is it?" Though the stranger started to look at his watch to inform Kurt of the time, Kurt looked at his phone and it confirmed that he had ten minutes to get across campus to the theater building. "Shit. Shit. Shit." He scrambled up from the table and grabbed his satchel off the ground. "Oh my god, I'm going to be late to class," he muttered to himself as he began throwing the water bottle and his pencils into his bag. "Thanks again. Have a great day!" And with that, Kurt was off and running across the park.

"You too," the handsome stranger shouted after the other boy who made no motion to acknowledge he was being addressed. "Dammit" the handsome stranger said quietly to himself as Kurt got smaller and smaller in the distance. "Why didn't you get his name?"

…

Kurt burst through the door at the back of the auditorium a few minutes after class started, drawing everyone's attention as he breathlessly walked over to an open spot in the circle on the stage. He flopped down uncharacteristically graceless on the floor as he was met with a raised eyebrow from his teacher, Mr. Anderson.

"Nice of you to join us, Mr. Hummel," Mr. Anderson said in a stern but teasing tone. He clapped his hands and looked around at his students, "Let's do some improv!"

Class kicked Kurt's ass that day. His chest hurt from the impromptu sprint across campus in addition to all the coughing he did earlier. Usually he liked improv warmups, but he just was not in the mood that day. He was grateful when the class got started on their dramatic monologues. Since Kurt already did his monologue the day before and received mostly positive criticism from his teacher, that class period gave him a chance to stare off into space for a while. His mind wandered to the stranger with the water bottle and he mentally kicked himself for not getting the other boy's name. He had no idea who that other guy was. Campus wasn't exactly small, but Kurt was pretty sure he would have remembered seeing someone who looked like _that, _even from afar.

"Kurt!"

The sound of his name jarred him from his thoughts of the handsome stranger. "Huh?" Kurt snapped his head around to look at his teacher. Mr. Anderson had a displeased look on his face and Kurt instantly felt guilty. He usually prided himself in how seriously he took his class and here he was daydreaming about a boy while he should have been paying attention to his classmates. Kurt's cheeks flushed pink as Mr. Anderson wordless asked him to get his act together. "Sorry. I'm – " Kurt shut his mouth as quickly as he had opened it and sat up in his chair and gave his classmate at front of the stage his undivided attention.

When class was finally over, Kurt was hoping to sneak out before Mr. Anderson had a chance to reprimand him. He was a few feet away from the door when he heard his teacher call to him.

"Hey, Kurt! Can you hang on a second?"

Kurt squeezed his eyes closed and mentally prepared himself for a lecture about treating his classmates with respect and being present. "I'm sorry, Mr. Anderson, I just – "

Mr. Anderson shook him off. "Everybody has an off day, Kurt. That's not what I wanted to talk to you about." Kurt looked confused, especially when Mr. Anderson started digging around in his own satchel and procured a ticket. "Here," he said as he handed a ticket to Kurt. "There's a guest pianist in town on Thursday and I'm encouraging everyone in class to go check it out. And by encouraging, I mean requiring." Kurt cocked his head as he took the ticket, still confused. "I handed these out at the beginning of class, but since you… well, you know."

Kurt looked at the ticket and his eyebrows raised as he read the name in the center of it, "Devon Anderson." He looked up at his teacher for a response to a question he didn't have to ask.

"Okay, yes, it's my brother. I snagged a bunch of tickets because I thought the class should see his performance."

"But, he plays piano… and we're an acting class," Kurt said, pointing out the obvious.

Mr. Anderson raised his own eyebrows as he shouldered his satchel. "He _does_ play the piano. But who says he isn't acting?" Kurt's mouth dropped open, as if he were to make a comment, but he was so confused at his teacher that nothing actually came out. "See you tomorrow, Kurt."

Kurt stared down at the ticket in his hand as Mr. Anderson left the room.

…

Cooper Anderson loved teaching almost as much as he loved acting, but he also loved coming back to his apartment and unwinding after a long day at work. He took the steps two at a time, knowing that cold beer and his litter brother were waiting for him upstairs. His brother had always been a piano prodigy and was finally making a name for himself in the music industry. After an acting troupe had pulled out of their Point Park campus performance, Cooper pulled a few strings and got his brother to take their performance slot. Though Point Park's music venue was not quite as prestigious as the ones he knew his brother would someday play, it was a good excuse to get to spend some one-on-one time with him while he could.

Sounds of someone playing Rock Band emanated from under the front door as Cooper keyed his way into his apartment. He smiled as he opened the door to see his classically trained little brother standing on the coffee table in a white t-shirt and jeans, wailing on the plastic guitar like it was his job. Fingers flew across the colorful buttons as the younger Anderson jumped off the table in time with the end of the song. Cooper threw his bag on the couch next to his brother's crumpled up green sweater and guitar and started to clap, scaring the younger boy.

"Jesus, Coop. I didn't hear you come in!"

"Oh, hey Blainers. Didn't see you there standing on my furniture and beating my former high score." Cooper groaned, but was impressed. "How the hell do you play that fast?"

Blaine set the toy guitar down and broke into a wide grin as he wiggled his fingers at his brother, revealing faded scars on his right hand. "Years and years of playing scales. You know, if you would have stuck with piano lessons too, you might not suck so badly at Rock Band. Just sayin'…"

"Ha," Cooper laughed as he made his way to the kitchen. "You want a beer, little man?"

"Don't call me 'little man,'" Blaine complained as gently moved his acoustic guitar to the floor before he flopped down onto the couch. "But yes, a beer would be great."

"Fine. Sorry. Here," Cooper said as he handed his brother a beer. "I'm really glad you're here, B. I missed you."

Blaine smiled before taking a sip of his drink. "I missed you too. Thanks for getting me that gig here on Friday. It'll be nice to play for people my own age again."

"Awwwww," Cooper cooed sarcastically as he leaned over to pinch Blaine's cheeks. "Famous pianist already tired of playing for old rich people?"

Blaine smacked at his brother's hand. "Cooooop, stoooooooop!" They both were laughing as they settled back onto the couch and drank their beers. "Seriously, though. I miss being around my peers. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do and it blows my mind that people are willing to pay to hear me play. But…" His laughter faded with his smile as he looked forlornly at the television to avoid eye contact with his brother.

"I know," Cooper said softly, knowing full well his brother was lonely. It wasn't something unexpected, but that didn't mean it sucked any less. "But hey, I gave all my students tickets to your show. They're your age - maybe I could introduce you to some of them? You could even come speak in my class on Friday if you want."

"Coop, you teach acting," Blaine pointed out. "I play piano."

Cooper shook his head as he was reminded of his similar exchange with Kurt earlier. As he took a sip of beer, he dug his free hand around in his satchel until he pulled out one of the tickets to Blaine's concert. He handed it to Blaine and then stood up. "Look at that ticket, Blaine." Cooper waited as Blaine ran his fingers over his given first name. "Now tell me that's not acting."

Blaine stared at the ticket while his brother left the room. Devon Anderson. _Devon_ Anderson.

Blaine was born Devon Blaine Anderson III, but his family and close friends had called him Blaine ever since he was a little kid. As he grew up and it became known that he would foray into being a professional pianist, he was encouraged by managers to go by his given name because "Devon" sounded more serious for a classical musician than "Blaine". Blaine didn't mind the sudden duality of his life – he could be Devon onstage and on his albums, but Blaine in his personal life. He was more comfortable being Blaine, but knew when he had to turn up the charm and professionalism and be Devon.

Though Blaine wore glasses and Devon did not, it wasn't a secret that Blaine and Devon were the same person. This wasn't a Hannah Montana situation or anything… It was just that a lot of people who were familiar with Devon Anderson, professional pianist, weren't aware that in reality he was a goofy young man just wishing he could be himself more often.


	2. Tuesday - Part I

A/N: I know I said every chapter would be a day, but Tuesday needed to be split up. (Plus - doesn't everyone just *love* a cliffhanger?)

Again, I beg you to suspend disbelief regarding professional piano playing and all that that entails.

Warning in this chapter for homophobic slurs and brief graphic depictions of violence.

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.

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TUESDAY - Part I

Blaine had a tough time getting to sleep, so when he rolled out of bed that morning, he looked and felt like a mess. Cooper was already gone for the day, so Blaine took his time in the shower. He stood under the showerhead and let the hot water pound on his back like he was being flailed. The pain felt good as he thought about what his brother had said to him the night before.

He was acting. He knew he was acting, but it had never bothered him before. He was so used to assuming a serious guise and commanding the stage. But, as much as he was pretending to be someone else on the outside while in performance-mode, every song he played was an extension of himself. He felt the music throughout his body, as if the melody was the blood coursing through his veins. Each note was a syllable and strung together, they created a story he needed to share. Only he knew the words the music made, but he hoped the audience would understand their overall meaning.

It was confusing because Blaine never felt more like himself on the inside than when he was playing, but he didn't feel like himself on the outside. He was only a couple years into his career, but that was enough for him to have already established himself as a brand. The contacts, the slicked back hair, the well-tailored but extremely conservative tux were as much a part of Devon Anderson's performance as the fancy upright he sat behind while he played. Devon Anderson was the person people paid money to see. Devon Anderson was the calm, cool, collected young man who had impeccable high school transcripts, a well-rounded college experience and unparalleled piano skills that started him on his path to becoming a worldwide phenomenon.

Devon Anderson made it through high school unscathed because Blaine Anderson could not.

Blaine's talent for piano was exploited by his grade schools ever since his first grade music teacher bragged to the principal that her student was better than any of the high school pianists featured at the yearly May Festival. He was asked to play at a PTA meeting, and later at a school assembly. Soon Blaine's parents were bombarded with phone calls asking him to play at various school functions and fundraisers. The Andersons never pressured Blaine to play at any of the events but watched with pride when their youngest son would walk out onto the stage in front of hundreds of their community members and play.

Over the years, Blaine kept performing for different school events when asked. He loved to play and it gave him a thrill to share his love of music with others. As he got older, his peers became annoyed that their parents were fussing over him and how well he played. He would often get shoved in the hallway during the week of any of his performances. Posters that were hung with his face on them were quickly vandalized with the word "faggot" scrawled across his face and his perfect teeth blacked out with Sharpies.

Blaine was always the tiniest boy in his class and was a year younger than everyone else, having started kindergarten right after he turned four. His tiny stature and big talent became more of a problem the older he got. In eighth grade, Blaine was warming up on a piano in the band room before he was to play in the auditorium that night. Head down, watching his own fingers move across the keys, Blaine didn't hear a few members of the baseball team come into the room after their practice.

Before he knew it, Blaine was knocked backward off of the piano bench. In the brief moments before his head hit the ground, he thought how upset his mom was going to be that his tux was going to be dirty. His head bounced off the floor and he cried out in pain as he looked up to find several kids from his grade staring down at him. A hand reached down and pulled his glasses off his face. Though he could no longer see their sneers, Blaine heard them laugh at the sound of his glasses being broken in half.

"You guys –" Blaine started before a hand was clamped over his mouth. His heart began to race as he squirmed to reach his hands up to free himself. Both Blaine's arms were grabbed as were his legs before he had a chance to kick anyone.

"You think you're better than us, Anderson?" one of the bullies asked as the others muttered their annoyances under their breaths. "Let's see if you can play your gay little piano without any fingers." The kids who were holding his arms pulled them away from his body. Blaine felt someone take his right hand and peel his fingers out of the fist he had formed. He tried to bite the hand that was clamped over his mouth, but there was too much pressure. He couldn't scream and he was having trouble breathing because he was panicking.

A cleat stomped down onto Blaine's outstretched hand and a sickly crunching sound made its way to his ears before he passed out. Blaine woke up at the hospital several hours later to the sound of his mom crying in a chair next to his bed. Woozy from the pain killers in the IV hooked up to his arm, Blaine sluggishly looked down and saw both his hands were wrapped in thick gauze and that it hurt to breathe. Later a doctor would tell him that several fingers on each hand were broken and there was extensive damage to his right palm. The bruises all over his chest and sides were from being kicked by some of the kids from the baseball team. He didn't care if they got suspended or not, he just wanted to know if he would ever play again.

He would – but it took a lot of physical therapy and more patience than he thought he had.

The summer before his freshman year of high school, Blaine spent as much time as he could getting his hands back in working order. Frustrated by his slow progress, Blaine was finally encouraged when his physical therapist said that playing guitar, in addition to playing the piano, would help Blaine's dexterity return. The following day, Blaine woke up to find a brand new acoustic guitar resting on his desk chair. He winced slightly as he grabbed his new instrument by its neck and ran downstairs to thank his parents. The look of utter glee fell from his face as he saw his dad squeeze his mom's shoulder before both parents turned to him with apologetic looks on their faces. The guitar was a gift to help his hands heal, but also was a way for them to try and lessen the blow that he was being pulled from public school and put into private school for his high school career. Dalton Academy for Boys, they said, would be the safest environment to continue to hone his piano skills while getting the best education in the state. They boasted a zero-tolerance harassment policy that would prevent Blaine from being the victim of any more hate crimes or violent outbursts from his peers.

On his first day of high school, Blaine took a deep breath as he walked toward the large front doors, wearing his Dalton blazer, blue and red striped tie and boring gray uniform pants. Before reaching for the handle, he brought both his fully healed hands to his head and ran them over the hardened gel that held down his naturally curly hair. He went to adjust his glasses, but his finger met the bridge of his nose as he remembered for the umpteenth time that morning that he was wearing contacts because even at a safe school, it was best to make himself as small a target as possible. He was starting fresh and it was time to forget all the bullying at his old school and build new relationships with his private school classmates. When he finally found the courage to pull the door open, he was surprised to see another hand beat him to the punch. As Blaine turned to look at whoever opened the door, he was met with a wide smile from another boy. "Hey man, don't look so nervous. Welcome to Dalton! I'm Nick."

Blaine smiled widely at the other boy and said in a practiced voice. "I'm Devon."

At Dalton, Devon Anderson quickly became the name whispered on everyone's lips. The faculty got wind that this was the same piano prodigy that the Westerville Public School System had been bragging about for years. The students who didn't know Devon heard rumors that he had gotten kicked out of public school for getting into a fight because someone called him gay. Devon quickly made friends with Nick and was invited to join the school's a cappella group, the Warblers, when it was found that in addition to playing piano and guitar, he could sing well too. The Warblers were a tight-knit family and soon Devon befriended the other guys in the group well enough for them to call him Blaine and get to know the real him outside of school. They were shocked the first time they went over to his house on the weekend for a Rock Band marathon and saw him in glasses, scruff and no hair gel. But, after getting the true story out of him about how he had gotten beaten up for just being himself, they understood why he looked differently at school and told him they would love him whether he was Superman or Clark Kent.

Four years at Dalton flew by. Blaine accompanied the Warblers to several state and national show choir competitions in between his own piano recitals and showcases. When the time came for him and his friends to think about life after high school, Blaine was told he could skip the college route if he wanted and just be a professional musician. Knowing a college education would be better in the long run; Blaine went to a small liberal arts college and got an English degree with a minor in music performance. Once again he was Blaine Anderson during the school day to his closest friends, but Devon Anderson any time else, and especially when he had to perform. It became a routine that was familiar – keeping his personal and professional life separate. He didn't care what people called him while he was playing; he just wanted to express himself through his music.

Now here he was, his first year out of college and seemingly stuck being Devon Anderson to everyone except his family and the Warblers he still kept in touch with. Sometimes it was exhausting, being this dapper guy that everyone expected him to be.

…

Looking at his watch, Blaine knew had some time to kill before Cooper was done for the day. It was another beautiful afternoon, so he decided to take his guitar back to the park and play some more.

The day before, after watching the boy who almost choked run off into the distance, Blaine settled himself under the tree by the picnic table and played quietly. After awhile, people began dropping dollar bills in his case. The act surprised him, as he hadn't been playing for the purpose of getting money; he just wanted to play but didn't feel comfortable using a practice room at a university he didn't attend.

By time he was ready to head back to Cooper's apartment to be there before his brother got home, Blaine had amassed around $40. It would have been easy to just pocket the cash, but Blaine was doing more than fine financially, having received some of the profits from his first CD as well as the trust fund he had full access to ever since he turned 18 a few years prior. So, Blaine packed up his guitar and put the money in his front pocket while he walked around town, looking for a good cause to donate to.

A few minutes into his stroll, Blaine came across a homeless shelter, which sadly didn't surprise him because he was in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh. Without hesitation, Blaine walked through the door of the shelter and straight up to the front desk. The tired looking woman behind the counter looked up and almost rolled her eyes at the eager young man before her. Before she forced herself to launch into her rehearsed monologue about the shelter, Blaine interrupted and said he wanted to donate some money. She looked confused, seeing as they didn't usually get people in their early twenties waltzing into the place and saying they wanted to give, but handed him an envelope anyway.

Blaine took the money and place it in the envelope, sealed it and quickly scribbled a note on the back of it before handing it to the woman at the desk. Before she could say anything, he turned on his heals and gave a quick look down the hallway before he left. Though he didn't spend a lot of time lingering, he did see a few open doors down a hallway. He heard children playing tag and the sound of a horrendously out of tune piano being plunked on somewhere toward the end of the hall. He pursed his lips and made a mental note to come back the next day to see if there was anything else he could do in the short amount of time he was in town visiting his brother.

So, on Tuesday, Blaine returned to his tree by the picnic table from the day before. This time he propped open his case and angled it out, should more people want give money as he played. He was still just messing around and playing whatever songs he liked, but he knew that if people wanted to give, then he would be giving it to the shelter along with his own donation. Blaine felt his checkbook in his back pocket and smiled to himself that he would be able to do some good with his earnings that day.

Blaine was so into his music and enjoying playing outside on such a lovely spring day that he lost track of time. A couple hours passed and more and more dollars were dropped into his case. He smiled with each donation, glad to be entertaining people and grateful he would have more money for the shelter. When a bell chimed somewhere across campus and his stomach began to growl, Blaine decided he should probably pack it in and go donate the money before grabbing a snack and heading back to his brother's apartment so they could go out to dinner later.

Not caring about getting his jeans dirty, Blaine sat on the ground to put his guitar away and sort through the money. While he was counting out a neat stack of bills, he heard someone say, "Oh my god, it's you!"

He knew he looked disheveled with his rumpled sweater, messy hair and glasses. He had just played for two hours and even though there was a cool breeze, performing always made him a bit sweaty. Blaine didn't know anyone on campus, let alone anyone who would recognize him because the hot mess he was at the moment did not resemble the Devon Anderson who's face graced the posters that had been hung across campus.

Eyebrows furrowed as Blaine stopped counting money and craned his head to look up toward the source of that voice. "Excuse me?" Blaine's question hung in the air as he found himself staring up at the boy who had choked and then ran off yesterday. His mouth dropped open at the beauty of the other boy, whose blue eyes were beaming brightly above a close-mouthed grin. "You're…" he started. "Were you late for class?" Blaine immediately wanted to kick himself. Of all the questions or comments he could have said, he just asked this beautiful stranger if he was late for class the day before, as if he weren't creepy enough just sitting on the ground gaping at him. The beautiful boy looked puzzled for a minute until Blaine made himself clearer. "Yesterday," he said, sheepishly. "You ran off. And I didn't…"

"Oh," the beautiful boy said, cheeks flushing pink in embarrassment at the recollection of the day before and that this other man remembered him. "Yeah, I was late to class, but it was okay. I'm so sorry I ran off like that before properly thanking you or even getting your name. I'm Kurt, by the way," he said as he reached a hand down toward where Blaine was sitting. "Not that that matters." Kurt chuckled nervously as Blaine took the offered hand and shook it slowly.

"I'm Blaine," the curly haired man said confidently as he held onto Kurt's hand just a little too long. He normally introduced himself as Devon, but for some reason felt super comfortable around this near-stranger. "And of course it matters."

Kurt flashed a grateful smile at Blaine. "I'm so glad I ran into you again because I wanted to thank you, obviously, for saving my life," Kurt rambled as Blaine stood up as gracefully as one can after sitting on the ground for awhile. "Can I buy you a coffee or something? It's seriously the least I can do after what you did for me."

It was Blaine's turn to chuckle as he wiped the dirt off his pants. "I didn't do anything but give you some water. Really, it was nothing."

"Blaine, please," Kurt interrupted firmly, but softly. Blaine looked up mid-brush from a patch of dirt near his knee and saw the want in Kurt's eyes to do this for him. In an instant he knew the other boy was not going to give up, regardless of what he said so he gave a small smile and nodded that he accepted Kurt's offer. "Thank you," Kurt said, pleased he got his way. He looked down at his watch and knew he didn't really have anywhere to be for a while longer. "Are you free now, or were you on your way somewhere before I rudely interrupted?"

It was Blaine's turn to look at his own watch. He had an hour or so before he had to head back to Cooper's apartment and he was planning on getting a snack anyway. "I have some time," he said as he bent over to collect the stack of money he had set on his guitar case. Blaine folded the wad of cash and Kurt watched as he slid it into the front pocket of his still dirty, but form fitting in all the right places, jeans. He slung the guitar case on his back as if it was a shield and he was headed toward the battlefield.

Kurt smiled and with a small bow, he motioned his arm outward in a silent "right this way, good sir" motion. Blaine smiled as he fell in step with Kurt, the two of them walking toward the edge of the park.

They walked in silence though both boys were actually very eager to know more about the other – they just didn't know where to start.

When they happened upon the homeless shelter from the day before, Blaine stopped without warning, causing Kurt to walk several steps ahead before he realized the other man was no longer beside him. Confused, Kurt turned around, "You okay?"

Blaine nodded and then looked up at the shelter's sign before looking back at Kurt. "Yeah, I just… I kinda need to stop in here for a second. I'll be quick, I promise."

Before Kurt had a chance to respond, Blaine flung the front door open and walked into the building. He could see Blaine inside at the front desk, but could not make out what he or the woman he was speaking with was saying. Not knowing what to do, Kurt began looking around at where they were. He was whistling to himself and thinking about how attractive the other man was when the name of the location caught the corner of his eye.

Homeless shelter.

Kurt's eyes widened. He didn't know what to think except that there was a very real possibility that the man he was taking for coffee was homeless. Quickly thinking back to their encounter the day before, Kurt was too busy coughing and thinking that the other man was attractive to really pay attention to anything else. And then even that day – Kurt came across the other man packing up his guitar and counting a stack of money. Blaine's jeans were filthy and he had a sizeable stack of cash. He must have been playing his guitar for money. Suddenly Kurt felt horrible for taking the other man's water bottle the day before. Surely his offer to buy him a cup of coffee was not enough for what this poor guy was going through.

The college freshman only snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the door to the shelter open and saw Blaine walking out with a smile on his face. Kurt look mortified, but somehow managed to nod when Blaine asked, "You ready?"

Blaine was still beaming when they walked into the coffee shop and walked up to the counter with Kurt. The barista noticed the curly-haired man's pleasant mood and assumed he was happy because he was with Kurt, one of her regular customers. "Hey Kurt," she said, with a knowing smirk. "You want your usual?"

"What? Oh…" Kurt looked from the barista to Blaine, then back to the barista. "Yeah. Uh, I mean, yes please. And he," he looked back at Blaine who was busy staring up at the menu written in chalk above the row of coffee-making machines, "he can have whatever he wants. I'm paying for him. He's - I'm – it's…" Kurt was rambling again and the barista chuckled, thinking that Kurt was just nervous because he was smitten with this new guy with the guitar. Kurt came to the coffee shop a few times a week but never brought anyone with him. The barista figured he was gay and was pleased to see that he bagged himself a hottie. She had to be sure, though.

"And what can I get for you, sir?" The barista looked at Blaine and said "sir" as sultry as she could, causing Kurt's eyebrows to shoot up. She leaned over the counter toward Blaine and squeezed her elbows in so her cleavage heaved a little extra.

Blaine looked down from the menu and straight into the barista's eyes without giving her breasts even one tiny peak. With a smile, he said, "I'll have a Medium Drip, please." He looked over at Kurt, "Hey you want to split some biscotti? I'll pay – "

"No, it's on me, seriously. Get the biscotti. You want a sandwich or something too?" Kurt quickly looked away from Blaine and started eyeballing the display in front of them. "These don't look that fresh, but I bet they have more in the back."

Blaine leaned over the counter toward the barista and whispered, "Just the biscotti, please. Thank you."

Waiting an extra second before she stood back up, just to make sure this new guy wasn't into her or her chest, the barista righted herself and said, "You got it, hon." She punched some buttons into the cash register. "That'll be $9.58, Kurt."

Kurt reached into his satchel and yanked out his wallet. He fished out a ten-dollar bill and a couple ones and thrust them at the barista. "Here. Keep the change."

They stood in silence as they waited patiently for their drinks and the biscotti. Soon they found themselves on their way to a table in the corner. They put their stuff down and then Blaine excused himself and jogged over to the counter to grab some napkins and a couple packets of sugar. After a moment's hesitation, he grabbed a jar of cinnamon too before heading back to the table.

As he sat, Blaine smiled at Kurt. "Thank you for the coffee," he said as he took the lid off his cup and poured in some sugar and cinnamon. "And the biscotti… you really didn't have to do that, I would have gladly paid for it. Please, have some," he scooted the plate toward Kurt before taking a piece for himself. He dunked the treat into his coffee and then let it drip back into his cup before he brought it up to his mouth and took a bite.

Kurt shook his head and scooted the plate back in Blaine's direction. "Oh, god, no, please. You need this more than I do." Blaine was busy chewing so he couldn't ask what Kurt meant by that, but he did look at him with a confused look. Kurt leaned over and whispered softly, "Because you're… you know… homeless."

...


	3. Tuesday - Part II

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee

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TUESDAY - PART II

Blaine's eyes widened as they watered when he began to choke on the bite of biscotti he had started to swallow. He shook his head and fought hard with himself to swallow, tears streaming down his cheeks in the process as he kept coughing. Kurt looked on in alarm, not sure of what he should be doing or why Blaine reacted the way he did. Blaine grabbed a napkin off the table to wipe his face as he settled himself down. Though his eyebrows were raised in shock, he had a hint of a smile on his face in between the last few coughs.

"Homeless?" Blaine couldn't hide the growing smile on his face if he tried. "You think I'm homeless, Kurt?" He wiped his face again with his napkin as he looked at his half-eaten biscotti. "Oh my god, is that why you tried to force me to get more food?!" Kurt's face flushed deep red from embarrassment. "Kurt." The younger man's shoulders involuntarily slumped as his name fell from Blaine's lips in a combination of teasing and adoration. They barely knew each other 30 minutes and yet it in that moment, an outsider would have sworn they were together.

Kurt brought his hands up to his face and wished he could melt into his chair and disappear from the coffee shop. "Oh my god," he muttered into his palm, "please just don't even look at me right now. Just let me pretend I'm not here." He ran his hands up through his hair but kept his face down, staring at the table.

"Hey," Blaine called softly to the boy across the table. When Kurt didn't react, Blaine leaned over and went to grab Kurt's hand, but at the last second caught himself and opted to brush his finger lightly over Kurt's wrist before he sat back down in his chair. "Hey. Look at me," Blaine asked. "Please?"

Hands still in his hair, Kurt reluctantly pulled his head up a little bit so that he was looking at Blaine. "I am so, so sorry."

With a genuine smile, Blaine shook his head. "It's okay, really. It was actually kind of sweet, really."

"Sweet?" Kurt asked in disbelief. "I called you homeless."

Blaine chuckled, "True. But you were so ready to buy me food." Blaine shrugged. "I dunno, I think that's sweet." He looked up at Kurt from under his long eyelashes and felt extremely vulnerable yet somehow completely content and at ease. "You don't even know me."

Kurt almost swooned where he sat, but didn't because Blaine was right. He didn't know this other man – he didn't know him at all. But for some reason, Kurt felt like he did, or at least that he wanted to. It was almost too much to handle. Kurt didn't just ask other boys to coffee, especially strangers. But Blaine had come to his rescue with that water bottle the day before and his smile was so warm that it felt like home and that scared Kurt in the best way possible.

"You're right," Kurt said slowly, "I don't know you. But I would really like to." As soon as the words slipped from his lips, Kurt's cheeks burned bright red again. He slapped a hand up to his mouth and shook his head, eyes wide. Blaine tried to suppress a grin, but failed spectacularly. "Oh my god, that sounded so forward," Kurt said as he pulled his hand a little bit away from his mouth. "I swear I usually have a filter."

There were a few moments of silence between the two, but they weren't as awkward as they should have been. Blaine just kept smiling, though mostly to himself as he took a slow sip of his drink. Kurt eventually put his hand down and grabbed a hold of his cup, though he kept it on the table.

"Okay," Blaine started slowly after he swallowed his mouthful of coffee. "I feel like you wish you could take back the last fifteen minutes. Is that an accurate assessment?" He waited as Kurt nodded. "Now, I can't make that happen, but I can say that I would really like to know you better too." Kurt's eyebrows slid up, but he kept his mouth shut, not wanting to say something else he would likely regret. "So…" he held his hand out across the table toward Kurt. "Hi, I'm Blaine. Thank you, stranger person for buying me coffee and this delicious biscotti."

With that, Kurt smiled and he instantly felt better about the situation. Blaine wasn't trying to make him feel foolish. Instead, the boy with the glasses and endearing smile was trying to put Kurt at ease. After sighing with slight relief, Kurt reached his hand across the table and slid it into Blaine's where it fit perfectly. "Hello. I'm Kurt."

They shook hands a little longer than people normally do before parting and settling their hands back around their respective drinks. "So, Kurt," Blaine started. "Tell me a little about yourself."

Kurt relaxed and shared some information about himself. He told Blaine how he was in his first year at Point Park and that he enjoyed performing and costume design. Without hesitation, he pulled out his sketchbook from his satchel and showed Blaine his drawing from the day before.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Blaine was honestly impressed by the sketch and was touched that Kurt shared that with him. He handed the sketchbook back to a blushing Kurt who thanked Blaine as he slid it back in his bag.

"So what about you," Kurt asked. "Do you go here?"

Blaine shook his head as he took a sip of coffee. "No," he said as he swallowed. "I graduated from Oberlin last June. I'm just here for the week, visiting my brother."

"Oh." That one syllable was packed full of so many emotions. Kurt's mind raced as his heart dropped. Blaine was not only older than he thought, but only in town for a few more days.

Seeing a disappointed and distraught look spread over Kurt's face, Blaine felt like he said the wrong thing. He knew he wasn't telling the whole truth, but Kurt didn't know that – he _was_ in town visiting his brother, but he was also there as a guest performer for the school. Somehow, though, that didn't matter. What he said had caused Kurt's smile to disappear and he wanted to make it come back. Just as he was about to crack a joke to clear the air, Blaine's phone rang.

"Excuse me," Blaine said to Kurt, who just nodded and looked off to nowhere in particular, trying to hide his disappointment about Blaine leaving town. After wrestling his phone out of the front pocket of his jeans, Blaine saw it was his brother. "Speak of the devil," he muttered as he pressed the Accept Call button. "Hey brother," Blaine started before being cut off. "Wait, what?" He looked at his watch before looking over at Kurt and then back at his watch. "Oh… shit. I – " Blaine bit the inside of his cheek. "Um… maybe." Beat. "Okay, fine. Yes." Kurt could hear laughing over the phone as Blaine blushed. "Oh my _god_, Coop, NO. I'll see you later." Beat. "I don't know. Later?" Beat. "Shut up!" Beat. "I love you too." Beat. "Bye." Blaine hit the End Call button as fast as he could and put his phone screen-down on the table. "Sooooooo… that was my brother." Kurt raised his eyebrows, pretending this was new information. "Sorry."

"No need to apologize," Kurt assured Blaine. "Do you, um, need to get going?" Kurt thought Blaine bought himself some more time, but he didn't want to assume anything. In truth, Kurt was having a really great time talking with Blaine and he couldn't bring himself to say goodbye to the other boy just yet. They still didn't know much about each other, but it just felt right to be right where he was.

Blaine shook his head, "Not unless you do. I was, uh, supposed to meet my brother back at his apartment, but…" He looked into Kurt's eyes, not having to finish the rest of his sentence for Kurt to know that he wasn't ready to say goodbye either. "Do you want to go for a walk or something?" Blaine didn't know Pittsburgh very well, so he couldn't just name somewhere to go. He was afraid that if they stayed in the coffee shop, he would never want to leave and he knew he had to get back to Cooper's apartment eventually, even though he knew he was going to get teased as soon as he showed up.

Kurt nodded, "Yeah, sure."

Together, the two boys cleared their trash from the table and threw it away. Blaine held the door for Kurt on the way out and the younger man blushed as he thanked this still almost-stranger who somehow felt like home.

They chatted as they walked. Kurt would point out a notable building and Blaine would nod and look briefly, only to bring his attention back to the way Kurt's blue eyes sparkled with excitement over being able to share something new with him. It felt like a date and Blaine was surprised how much he didn't mind. With his music career taking off and being carefully molded by his manager and label, he rarely had time to just be himself, let alone meet anyone who liked him for him and not just because he was on track to be a world-renowned pianist.

During their walk, they found out they had a lot in common. Both men grew up in Ohio and had a brother (though Kurt's was by marriage when his dad remarried). Kurt was pleased to find that Blaine was only two years older than him, even though he had already graduated. Blaine felt so comfortable being himself around Kurt that when he accidentally let slip that he went to private school for high school after being beat up in eighth grade, he didn't feel ashamed or that he was going to be judged. Instead, Kurt stopped walking because his heart hurt so much for middle school Blaine that he needed a minute to collect himself.

"I'm sorry," Kurt said as he tried to quickly wipe a tear out of the corner of his eye before it fell. "It's just – you shouldn't have had to go through that."

Blaine's shoulders slumped, having never had someone seem to care so much after knowing him for so little. He felt bad that Kurt was sad, but at the same time felt a warm feeling inside because someone cared. "I'm okay," he said as he nudged Kurt's shoulder with his own. "They broke my fingers, but they didn't break me. I promise." Blaine wiggled his fingers at Kurt with a small smile. "See?"

Even through glassy eyes, Kurt caught sight of the pale scars on Blaine's right hand. Without thinking, he reached up and stilled Blaine's hand with his own. A brief moment of panic surged through both boy as they realized they were so close together. With a silent look from Kurt that asked "may I?" and a barely noticeable nod from Blaine that still screamed "yes," Kurt cupped Blaine hand in one of his and ghosted the fingers of his free hand over the once jagged lines that had since smoothed over.

"I got beat up in school too, you know," Kurt said softly, daring to look Blaine in the eye as he let his fingers touch the scars. He saw Blaine's head tilt, as if he were preparing to apologize for Kurt's horrible past experiences, but Kurt shook him off. "But I'm okay now. _We're_ okay."

Almost instinctively, Blaine slowly laced the fingers of his right hand through Kurt's. He felt the younger boy tense briefly before letting out a soft sigh. They both looked up from their hands into each other's eyes. Before Blaine's eyes had a chance to wander down to Kurt's lips, they were interrupted by a car horn honking loudly across the street from them.

Thinking the car was beeping because of them having a moment out near the street, they dropped hands quickly and their faces flushed pink. When they both turned to see that the car was honking because the truck in front of it wasn't moving after the light changed green, Kurt and Blaine looked back toward each other, but didn't move to hold each other's hand again. The moment was gone and they didn't want to force another one.

"You wanna keep walking?" Blaine asked, hoping Kurt didn't have to be anywhere.

Kurt looked at his watch and groaned, which drew a small frown from Blaine. "As much as I really want to, I have to get back to my dorm and be responsible. I have a test tomorrow morning in my math class that I need to get a good grade on. Stupid Gen Ed requirements. Like, seriously when am I going to need to know how to graph an equation in the third dimension?" He tried to laugh it off, but really he was frustrated that he had to go when he very much wanted to stay.

"Well can I…" Blaine started then corrected himself, "_may_ I walk you to your dorm? Please?" A small look of panic in Kurt's eyes caused Blaine to ramble on with his intentions, or lack thereof. "I don't expect for you to ask me up, if that's what you're thinking. Kurt, no, it's just – I know I'm leaving in a few days but I just know I'll regret it if I don't try to spend as much time with you as I can. If you'll let me, that is. I mean, I meant what I said earlier, Kurt, I would like to get to know you better." The look of panic in Kurt's eyes had quickly softened to admiration. "I just feel like I can be myself around you and that's something I haven't felt in a long, long time. You move me Kurt, and I haven't even known you a day." Blaine's cheeks were stained red by this point and Kurt thought that was sweet and terrifying at the same time because he felt the same way.

They began walking and were able to slide back into comfortable, albeit surface, conversation because talking about anything deeper was going to be too much too soon. They stuck to small talk about Kurt's classes and how he detested his math teacher with every fiber of his being and how Advanced Calculus was definitely not what he wanted to spend his time on when he had costumes to sew and scenes he needed to rehearse.

Knuckles brushed as their hands swung dangerously close between them.

Just before they got to Kurt's building, he turned to Blaine and remarked, "You never told me what you studied."

Blaine blinked, "Oh. I studied English. English and music." That wasn't a lie by any means, but it definitely wasn't the best preface to trying to explain to Kurt that he was actually a professional pianist. "But I –"

"Oh, this is me!" Kurt interjected before they slowed to a stop in front of the door of his dorm. It didn't have to be said, but neither of them wanted to say goodbye. "Um… you said you wanted to spend time with me," Kurt said nervously. He had only had one boyfriend before and even then, the relationship only lasted a couple months. It wasn't that he and Blaine were anywhere close to dating, but he had such a sure feeling in his gut that Blaine was special and even though he was basically flying blindly, Kurt couldn't let Blaine go. "I want that too. I mean, I'd like to spend time with you. Get to know you." He didn't want to sound needy, but he had to ask. "When do you, uh, have to leave?"

"Friday night," Blaine said sadly. He had to fly back to New York that night for an early meeting the next morning with his label.

Kurt nodded, thinking over his schedule. "Well, do you want to do something tomorrow?" He waited for Blaine to nod before he smiled and said shyly, "I have that test in the morning, but I'm free after class is over at 2:00."

Though he feared it was not going to be enough time, Blaine was determined to be grateful for the time he was given with this other boy. "Then I will see you tomorrow at two," Blaine said as he smiled in return. His eyes lit up as he had what he thought was a brilliant idea. "Hey, we can talk more about this tomorrow, but what are you doing Thursday night?" Blaine had decided he should probably come clean the next day when he had more time and explain to Kurt about his piano playing since it was why he was in town to begin with. He couldn't wait to share his music with Kurt and already wanted to invite the younger boy to come hear him play.

"Thursday, Thursday…" Kurt murmured to himself, thinking. "Thursday night I'm free – no wait!" he quickly corrected himself before groaning a bit. "I'm not. My acting teacher is forcing us to see his brother's concert or something."

Blaine's eyes slowly widened as he realized what Kurt was talking about. "Concert?"

"Yeah, some piano player." Kurt said with a heavy sigh. "Devon Anderson."


	4. Wednesday - Part I

A/N: Wednesday is going to split into at least two chapters. Here is Part I... Part II will likely be up on March 24th. I'm so sorry for the delay, but thank you for sticking with me :)

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WEDNESDAY - PART I

Kurt walked into Calculus with a goofy grin on his face and could almost not care less that he had a huge test ahead of him. His phone was in his pocket and he kept absentmindedly brushing his hand against it was he walked, and smiling to himself as he thought about the text Blaine sent him earlier that morning.

While Kurt was brushing his teeth before heading to class, he felt his phone vibrate. After yanking it out, ready to roll his eyes at whatever dumb picture his stepbrother was sending him, he quickly blushed when he saw the message was from Blaine.

_I can't wait to see you later – just text me where you want me to meet you after your class. Break a leg with your Calc test this morning! xBlaine_

They had exchanged numbers the night before with a promise to text each other the next day to solidify their afternoon plans. Each boy wanted to text the other as soon as he was settled for the night, but was too scared. Kurt couldn't believe that some incredibly handsome older guy actually wanted to hang out with him while Blaine was kicking himself for not telling Kurt the entire truth about why he was in town.

It would have been so easy to just say, "Oh. _I'm _Devon Anderson. You're acting teacher is my older brother and that's why I'm in town." But, Blaine was worried that once Kurt knew, it would change the dynamic of whatever this was going on between them. It was definitely a friendship, but felt like it could easily tip toward something more if either party was brave enough to do something about it. As it was right then, Kurt thought Blaine was just like him – someone who went through the wringer for just trying to be himself and made it out alive to try and conquer the world his own way. Blaine needed that – the feeling of being able to relate to someone and having someone be able to empathize with him.

After saying they would see each other the next day, Blaine turned to leave. He was stopped when he felt a hand on his arm and looked back to see Kurt staring at him, wordlessly. Blaine felt exposed, even though he was fully dressed, and swore he could hear his own heart beating. Turning back around to face Kurt, Blaine wrapped his arms around the other boy and held tight. His head fit perfectly on Kurt's shoulder as he breathed in the younger boy's scent of coffee and cologne. Though Blaine still had guitar on his back, Kurt managed to snake his arms around Blaine and hugged him, sighing contentedly into Blaine's neck.

Eventually they pulled apart, but not before Blaine placed a gentle kiss on Kurt's cheek near the corner of his mouth. Kurt ducked his head, dizzy with feeling so much for this other boy entirely too quickly. Blaine watched the corners of Kurt's mouth sneak up into a private smile and his own heart melted. He knew he had to leave before he broke down. Afraid to say something for fear of his vulnerability betraying his voice, Blaine ran a hand down Kurt's arm and briefly held his hand before completely pulling away and stepping back. He gave Kurt a knowing half smile that he hoped shared his own overwhelming feelings in that moment. They didn't say goodbye because they couldn't. "Goodbye" had such a finality to it and neither boy was ready to end what was only just starting.

Kurt somehow buckled down to study after his evening with Blaine, but the older boy shut down as he keyed his way into his brother's apartment. Cooper was completely ready to tease Blaine about being out with a boy on only his second day in town, but when he saw how upset his brother was when he got in, he stopped himself before he even started.

"You okay, Blainers?" Cooper watched as Blaine silently put his guitar case in the corner of the room and crossed over to the fridge to grab a beer. "Bad date?" Blaine shook his head as he popped the cap off his bottle against the kitchen counter. "_Good_ date?" Cooper asked, confused. How could Blaine be that distraught if he had a good time? Blaine took a swig of beer and ran a hand through his hair, pulling at his curls in frustration. Cooper knew something was definitely wrong, but was used to his brother shutting down and having to coax information out of him. "B… I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong."

Cooper walked over to his brother and stood in front of him, hoping Blaine would look up. Instead, the younger Anderson stared down at the floor. After a few moments, Cooper reached down and took the beer bottle out of his brother's hand before placing the bottle on the counter. He then slowly pulled his brother into a hug and rubbed Blaine's back in soothing circles just as he had done when Blaine was a little boy.

"Did he break your heart, B?" Cooper asked carefully in a soft voice. Blaine tensed in his brother's arms at the question, but then shook his head.

"He's putting it back together, Coop," Blaine mumbled into his brother's shoulder, "and I have no idea how to deal with that." There was a few seconds of silence before Blaine started sniffling. "But he doesn't know. He doesn't know _me_." A small sob escaped Blaine's lips as he buried his head into Cooper's chest.

Cooper felt he tears soaking into his shirt but he didn't ask any more questions that night.

…

The Calculus test did not go as bad as Kurt thought it was going to and he walked out of the room with confidence and a few extra minutes to spare before the class period was actually over. Grateful to cross that off his list of things to do today before he had a chance to see Blaine again, Kurt started walking to the drama building a little early, hoping to catch his acting teacher before the rest of the class got there.

On his way into the auditorium, Kurt pulled out his phone and responded to Blaine's earlier text.

_I think I kicked my Calc test's ass. Can you meet me in the drama building at 2? There's an auditorium on the main floor - I want to show you something. Lemme know if you need directions. xKurt_

Just before he walked through the door at the back of the stage, Blaine responded back, causing Kurt to smile widely.

_I'll find it. See you at 2! (and YAY on the test) xBlaine_

"Hey Kurt!"

And just like that, Kurt realized he was not the only person on stage. Embarrassed for being so smiley and giddy, Kurt quickly tried to shove his phone in his pocket as he walked over toward Cooper who was sorting through some papers on top of the piano.

"Hey, Mr. Anderson," Kurt said as he approached his teacher who looked as if his mind was somewhere else.

Cooper looked at his watch and noticed Kurt was several minutes early. "You know, you didn't have to come early today just because you were late on Monday."

Kurt let out a little laugh, "No, I know. I actually came early today because I had to ask you a favor. Do you, uh, have any extra tickets for your brother's concert tomorrow?"

Of all the questions Kurt could have asked, that was not one that Cooper was expecting to hear, especially since Kurt had questioned going to the concert to begin with. "Extra tickets? Like, how many do you need?" Cooper put down the papers he was holding and pulled his satchel over to dig through it. He was pretty sure he had a couple tickets floating around in there somewhere.

"Oh, just one," Kurt replied quickly.

Cooper raised his eyebrows. The freshmen class of actors was small enough for him to know his students' quirks and he could tell Kurt was bursting at the seams with excitement, but was trying extremely hard to keep it in. "Just one, huh? For someone special?"

Kurt's smile betrayed him as he cocked his head to consider what his teacher had asked him. "Kind of. I mean, I think he's more than just a friend, but… I don't know. It's complicated?"

Cooper's student had never told him outright that he was gay, but he had figured as much. Though not all of the boys in the theater program were members of the LGBTQ community, Copper was aware that several of his students were, including Kurt. He had never overheard Kurt talk about anyone before and it made Cooper happy to see his student so happy. Having an out younger brother around Kurt's age allowed Cooper to empathize more with his situation. He wished Blaine was that happy the night before when he came home from his evening with some mystery guy instead of breaking down so badly that Blaine cried himself to sleep.

With a nod and a knowing smile, Cooper dug around a couple more moments in his bag and found a stray ticket. "Ah ha!" He pulled the ticket out of his bag and looked at his brother's name in the center of it before handing it over to Kurt. "Well, I hope your complicated friend enjoys the show. My brother really is a great pianist."

He was also a talented guitar player.

While Kurt was thanking his teacher and putting his extra ticket to Devon Anderson's concert in his wallet, Blaine Anderson was back in the park for a third day in a row, strumming his guitar under that same tree and just enjoying playing music for anyone who wanted to listen.

Blaine had a little while before he had to head over to the auditorium. He had figured out from the map on his phone that the building was a few blocks away, so he was going to allow himself a little more time to play before he collected his things and headed toward Kurt.

Another person walking by dropped a dollar into his guitar case causing Blaine to smile and nod his head, not missing a beat of the song he was singing. He found that more people were likely to stop and listen and throw in a dollar or two if he played his own arrangements of pop songs from the past few years. So, Blaine spent the last couple hours singing along to every Katy Perry and Pink song he knew, mixed in with some fun. and a few classic rock numbers that everyone loved, regardless of age.

Not wanting to be late to meet up with Kurt, Blaine finished up his last song and thanked the people who were standing around him for listening, but that he had to leave. Another few dollars fluttered down into his guitar case as he sat on the ground to sort the money and put his guitar away.

After meeting up with Kurt, Blaine was hoping to take the younger boy to the homeless shelter to donate that day's money. He thought that would help him explain to Kurt that he had a job and had no need to pocket the money that he had earned by busking in the park. Blaine had it all planned out in his head – he would take Kurt to the shelter, donate some more money and then reveal that he was in town to play at the concert Kurt would already be attending the next night. Kurt would laugh heartily at the whole situation, they would then go to dinner and live happily ever after.

Okay, Blaine knew some of his plan would likely not happen just like that, but he thought Kurt was compassionate and patient enough to understand why he was scared to tell him about the piano playing. He hoped he knew Kurt as well as he thought he did for only having spent a couple hours with him the day before.

Guitar case in hand and busking money tucked safely in his front pocket, Blaine made his way toward the drama building. He made sure that he looked nicer that day than he had the day before, hoping that the extra effort to look presentable for Kurt would help when he told Kurt the truth about everything. Blaine was still wearing jeans, but they were a cleaner, and much darker, pair that were cuffed at the ankle. He had on a gray cardigan overtop a white button-up shirt with a bright red bowtie. It was a little breezy while he was playing outdoors, so his curls had blown around and loosened a bit. He didn't like using hair gel when he wasn't performing, so he had just gotten used to his hair being a little messy if he didn't want to cover it with a hat.

Blaine got to the drama building in less time than he anticipated and had a couple minutes to wait until Kurt's class was over. He took out his phone and started Googling different restaurants in the area, wanting to take Kurt somewhere nice for dinner so they could have some privacy and talk.

Just as he was about to click to find out more about a Thai place, Blaine heard a familiar voice through the auditorium doors.

"Okay, guys. Remember you got that concert tomorrow night," Cooper announced to his students over top of some groans. "I'm telling you, you're going to thank me for free tickets. People normally pay big bucks to my brother play. If you hate it, feel free to blame me, but be nice to him because I've asked him to come speak to you on Friday. He's only a couple years older than you, so he'll be able to answer any questions you have about being in a performance career right out of college. Okay?"

Blaine groaned. He didn't remember actually agreeing to speak with Cooper's class, but he guessed now that was on his list of things to do. Squeezing his eyes shut tight, he realized this meant speaking in front of Kurt, and while it was going to be great getting to spend that much more time around him, he had to clear the air with Kurt – and soon.

"Blaine!"

The pianist's eyes flew open and he looked around at the source of his name. He smiled as he saw Kurt walking toward him. For a fraction of a second, all his worries melted away when the younger boy threw his arms around Blaine's neck. There was no hesitation as Blaine wrapped his arms behind Kurt and splayed his hands across his back.

"Hey you! You have any tests to study for for tomorrow, or are you free for a little while?"

Kurt smiled widely, knowing how open his schedule was for the rest of the day. "Free as a bird!"

Blaine smiled as they pulled apart and he could get a good look at Kurt. The younger boy looked so happy, he couldn't help but feel amazing in that moment. He couldn't remember the last time someone he liked was that excited to spend time with him. With a content sigh, Blaine held his hand out for Kurt to take if he wanted. Kurt looked down at the proffered hand and then shyly back up at Blaine before sliding his own hand in Blaine's. Eight fingers and two thumbs quickly tangled themselves together and it just felt right.

"So," Blaine started, "you said you wanted to show me something?" He squeezed Kurt's hand as he swung their joined hands slightly in between them, liking the ease of it all even though this was definitely something Blaine wasn't used to.

Nodding his head, Kurt beamed. "Yeah, I wanted to show you a costume I made last semester, if that's all right with you?"

It was Blaine's turn to grin, "Yes, of course!"

Kurt tugged on Blaine's hand to wordlessly tell him to walk back toward the direction of the auditorium door to go down the hallway. Just as they were about to cross in front of the door, they collided with someone walking out of it.

"Oh my god, we're so sorry, Mr. Anderson!" Kurt quickly apologized to his teacher, who had dropped the stack of papers he was carrying.

Cooper immediately dropped to his knees to pick up the papers. "No worries, I should have looked where I was going, Kurt." Upon saying his student's name, he looked up to assure Kurt that everything was okay, but found himself drawn to the boy next to Kurt. The Anderson brothers locked eyes as Kurt unclasped his hand from Blaine's to kneel down and help Cooper pick up the loose papers. Cooper's face screwed into a look of confusion and just as he was about to open his mouth to ask his brother what was going on, Blaine shook him off as if he were a pitcher wanting his catcher to call for a different pitch.

Kurt was so busy trying to organize the papers in his hand that he didn't notice the seemingly strange interaction between who he assumed were two strangers. However, when he finally stood back up and saw Mr. Anderson looking at Blaine, he blushed. "Mr. Anderson, this is Blaine, my … um… yeah. And Blaine, this is my acting teacher, Mr. Anderson."

Both Andersons immediately stuck out their hands toward each other and gave a firm handshake.

"Nice to meet you, sir," Blaine said to his brother, pleading with his eyes not to ask anything right then.

Cooper could tell his brother didn't want to be questioned right then and there, but he made a mental not to talk to him later that evening. If Kurt was the same person that Blaine was with yesterday, than he needed to get a few things straight – like why Kurt needed an extra ticket for Blaine to see his own concert. "Yes. Nice to meet you too, _Blaine_."

Blaine shot Cooper a look that was a cross between "I'm going to kill you" and "If you let me off the hook right now, I will be forever in your debt" and the older Anderson backed off. Cooper gave him one in return that screamed "We're talking about this later."

After a pause, Cooper assumed a wide smile. "Well, you two have a nice afternoon. See you tomorrow, Kurt," Cooper said to his student before giving both boys a wave and walking down the hallway, shaking his head to himself.

"Bye," Kurt called after him before turning to Blaine, a slightly embarrassed look on his face.

"Sooooooo," Blaine said, hoping to steer conversation away from the slight awkwardness that just happened between them and his brother. "Costume?"

Kurt's eyes lit up. "Right! Costume! Come on – this way!" He reached over and took Blaine's hand and the two of them continued down the hallway toward the costume shop.

It amazed Blaine how much magic was hidden behind a plain door. Kurt walked him through the rows and rows of costumes, separated into different themes or time periods. Blaine watched as Kurt would gingerly touch different costumes that he saw in various shows or used a particular kind of fabric that he loved. He understood that these weren't just pieces of clothes to Kurt, and that there were so many stories behind every costume and if they had more time that day, Blaine would have loved to have heard every one.

In the farthest corner of the room, Kurt led Blaine down a narrow aisle of wardrobe labeled "Fairies." The younger boy blushed, knowing how both appropriate and altogether horrible it was that he made a costume for a fairy. He gently shoved aside the costumes surrounding the one that he created and Blaine watched as Kurt grabbed the hanger and gently removed his creation from the rack.

Blaine's eyes wandered the length of the costume, trying to summon the words to tell Kurt how beautiful it was.

When Blaine didn't say anything right away, Kurt tried to fill the silence and make excuses for his costume. "It's silly, I know. It was for a production of _A Midsummer Night's Dream_. This was the first thing I ever sewed that wasn't for me. I know it's not, like, the best thing ever, but I just thought – "

"Kurt," Blaine said softly, stopping the other boy mid-ramble. "It's not silly." He lifted a hand to the sparkling wings and ran a finger slowly down their delicate edge. "This is beautiful," he murmured with such reverence. "This is beautiful and you _made_ this."

A heavy silence filled the cramped room as all they stared at each other. It was all just too much to take in. They still didn't know much about each other, but there was this inherent need to be with each other and they both felt it. It was exhilarating, but extremely scary.

Kurt hung the costume back on the rack and adjusted the costumes around it so that everything was evenly spaced out once again. He turned around to find Blaine staring at the floor, looking lost.

"What's wrong?" Kurt asked, reaching out to run a finger along Blaine's hand.

Blaine looked up at Kurt and his shoulders slumped a bit when he saw the concerned look in Kurt's eyes. "What are we doing?" Kurt's eyebrows furrowed at Blaine's question, not quite understanding. "Friday, Kurt. I have to leave on Friday."

With that reminder of the ever-ticking clock, Kurt's eyes became glassy with tears he refused to shed. He swallowed back the lump forming in his throat and nodded that he finally understood what Blaine was getting at. "I know." He slid a hand into Blaine's and squeezed it. "I know." After a stuttered sigh, Kurt collected himself the best he could, determined to make the most out of their situation. If it was meant to be, they would figure it out. But for now, Kurt wanted to spend time with Blaine and not be sad in the costume shop. "I know we're on borrowed time here, and we're going to need to talk about _this_," he motioned between the two of them, "soon… but for now, can we just be happy spending the rest of the day together? Please?"

Blaine closed his eyes and nodded, wishing he were stronger. He allowed Kurt to lead him out of the costume shop and out the door of the drama building.


	5. Wednesday - Part II

A/N: Hey there... there will be another chapter of Wednesday after this one. I beg of you to suspend disbelief with regard to happenings inside of homeless shelters. Usually I'm a stickler for details too, but I have my reasons. Comments are always welcome. Thanks for reading :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.

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WEDNESDAY - PART II

Outside, Blaine felt a little better once he was able to take deep breaths of fresh air. He felt a little foolish for breaking down like he did, but he just had so much stuff running through his head and he was going into panic-mode. But, Kurt was like an anchor and with his strong hand holding Blaine's; Blaine felt like maybe he could be okay.

They walked hand in hand down the street, trying to be content being in each other's presence, but constantly thinking about their relationship's likely deadline. When they found themselves in front of the homeless shelter once again, Blaine tugged Kurt's hand and the other boy stopped, no questions asked.

"I need to go in," Blaine explained, "but I want you to come with me. Is that okay with you?" Blaine's eyes begged Kurt to say yes and Kurt nodded, ready to agree to just about anything at this point just so he could stay by Blaine's side.

Blaine held the door open for Kurt and then followed him inside. The woman behind the desk was the same person who Blaine had been dealing with the past two days. Her frown immediately righted itself. "I know you keep saying you're coming back, but somehow I never seem to believe you even though I should know better by now. How ya doing today?"

"Fine, thank you," Blaine replied, a wide smile on his face. "Sally, this is Kurt. Kurt, this is Sally, she helps run the shelter."

Kurt honestly had no idea what Blaine's tie to the shelter was (only that he wasn't homeless), but he smiled warmly at the woman and held his hand out. "It's very nice to meet you, ma'am."

Sally smiled and shook Kurt's hand. "Nice to meet you too, Kurt," she said, addressing him before shifting her attention back to Blaine. "So, kid, what can I do for you today?"

Blaine smiled and waggled his eyebrows, "I believe it's more of what _I_ can do for you." He stuck a hand into his front pocket and pulled out a wad of cash from busking in the park earlier. "I have $68 from this morning and even though I can't come tomorrow, I promise I'll be back with another check on Friday before I go."

"Sweetie, I don't know who you are or why you're hear, but God bless ya." She pulled an envelope from the drawer and handed it to Blaine. "You know the drill."

Blaine mock-saluted Sally, "Yes ma'am." He put the money in the envelope, sealed it and then wrote a quick note on the back before handing it to Sally. She read it and smiled, shaking her head all the while.

A puzzled expression had spread across Kurt's face. Blaine reached over and squeezed his hand, giving him a look that said he would explain later. Kurt nodded and gave Blaine a small smile. He didn't know anyone else who would just walk into a homeless shelter and give money – especially if they weren't from this area or didn't have anything to do with the shelter.

From down the hall, Kurt could hear children giggling and someone tapping keys on an off-key piano. He watched Blaine smile as the older boy turned to face him. "You wanna go play for a little bit?" Kurt cocked his head in confusion, but Blaine was quick to answer his unasked question. "Sally said if I ever had time, I could go play some music for the kids. I know what we're up against, but I thought maybe we could do this together. Just for a little bit?"

Kurt's heart melted at Blaine's generosity. "I'd love to."

Blaine beamed and grabbed Kurt's hand. Together, they walked down the hall and the sounds of laughter got louder as they approached a makeshift playroom.

Neither boy really knew what to expect, having never been in a shelter before. They squeezed each other's hands one last time before mutually letting go right before they stepped through the door. It was one thing to not know anyone in the room they were about to enter, but it was another for them to walk in there holding hands and expect for everyone to be okay with it.

Upon entering the room, Kurt and Blaine turned toward each other and smiled. There were a dozen children between the ages of five and fourteen and all of them seemed preoccupied with whatever they were doing that they didn't notice the newest additions to the room. Children were playing on the floor with hand-me-down toys, while others were seated in a corner, reading stories from a slightly tattered book. The piano playing the boys had heard from the front desk was care of a little girl who was maybe six years old. She was seated on the piano bench; using her pointer finger to tap on whichever keys she pleased.

As Blaine set his guitar case down, Kurt walked slowly toward the little girl at the piano. He crouched down next to her and she could not be bothered. "Hello, sweetie. I'm Kurt," he said as if he were introducing himself to an adult. "May I sit with you?" Without looking at him or stopping what she was doing, she nodded. Kurt looked over at Blaine and shrugged as he stood up and walked around the bench so he could sit next to her. "Can I teach you a song?"

The little girl stopped playing and looked up at Kurt. He smiled at her and she gave him a wide smile back before crawling into his lap.

"Oh!" Kurt reacted, at first shocked, but then he broke into giggles while she settled herself. "Well then, are you ready?" He looked down at her and she gave one final wiggle to make herself comfortable before she nodded. Kurt couldn't help but laugh. "All right, let's play. I'm going to put my hands over top of your hands, okay?" Nodding quickly, Kurt slid his palms over the back of her hands and positioned them over the keys.

Blaine was just about in shock from the adorableness of it all. The little girl had just made herself right at home in Kurt's lap as if it were the most logical thing to do. And Kurt – Blaine was in awe of how he completely dove right in, introduced himself to her and immediately made her feel at ease.

Kurt started moving his and the little girl's hands up and down, tapping out the beginning of "Heart and Soul." Blaine slowly walked over to the piano bench and put a gentle hand on Kurt's back. The younger boy didn't miss a beat as he turned his head and looked up at Blaine. They shared a private smile that was so intimate it should have been overwhelming, but somehow it just felt right. Kurt nodded toward the empty seat on the bench next to him and Blaine was more than happy to oblige.

As he sat, the little girl looked over at Blaine and gave him a wide smile. He smiled back as she swayed back and forth, her hands tucked carefully underneath Kurt's. After a few more moments of watching Kurt and the little girl play, Blaine brought his hands up to the keys and joined in with the main melody of the song. Kurt's eyebrows slid up as he watched Blaine play, but then remembered that Blaine said he minored in music and he played the guitar, so it really shouldn't have been a surprise that he could play the piano too. Though the piano was out of tune, all three of the pianists were grinning as they made music together.

By time they finished the song, most of the children in the room had gathered around the piano to see who the new people were. Blaine looked around and smiled at the kids. "Hey guys!" Trying to gauge their reaction, he wasn't sure if they would even want Kurt and him in there. "So, I'm, uh, Blaine and this is my… um… Kurt, and we wanted to see if we could play with you all for a little bit." Not getting any reaction, he started to ramble. "We can read stories, or play the piano, or I have my guitar if you wanted to sing some songs or something –"

Blaine was cut off when he felt someone tugging at his hair. He turned and saw the little girl in Kurt's lap smiling up at him and reaching to grab another handful. "You talk a lot," she said, giggling as she pulled his hair and let it go, watching it bounce back into place. "And your hair is silly," she stated matter-of-factly.

Kurt had one arm wrapped around the little girl's waist to keep her safe on his lap, but he quickly brought his free hand up to his mouth to try and suppress a chuckle at her bluntness. Blaine's cheeks flushed red as he shot Kurt a look that was a cross between "I hate you right now" and "I am so falling for you."

Trying to cover up the fact that he was laughing at Blaine, Kurt brought his hand down from his mouth and ran it over the little girl's braids. "Well, sweetie, not everyone is lucky to have pretty hair like yours." He looked back up at Blaine and gave him a small wink, hoping Blaine would realize that he was just saying that to draw the attention off him. "So, you guys want some stories, or what?"

The little girl thought for a minute and looked around at the other kids who were standing around the piano, to get a general consensus. Some of the kids wanted to read stories, while others wanted Blaine to play his guitar. So, the two boys went to opposite sides of the room and sat down on the floor along with their companions for the next half hour.

The little girl who had sat in Kurt's lap while at the piano once again snuggled up to him while he read some old Berenstain Bears books to the children who wanted to listen. Every so often, especially when he had to break briefly in the story to turn the page, Kurt would look over at Blaine and he couldn't help but smile as he watched the older man show some of the older kids how to play different chords on his guitar. Blaine was not only extremely patient, but also sincerely enthusiastic about sharing the gift of music with these kids. He caught Kurt looking at him several times and smiled brightly each time; thrilled they were able to share something good and pure together. Though Happily Ever Afters were far from either of their minds – especially when they honestly didn't know what was going to happen with them past Friday – both boys were completely smitten by the other's nurturing ability and had brief glimpses of what a family could look like.

When the kids surrounding Blaine started laughing louder than Kurt was reading, the children who were being read to slowly migrated over toward the others. The little girl in Kurt's lap looked up with him with her big brown eyes. She scrunched her nose and tilted her head before asking, "Is it okay if I go with them?"

Kurt gave her a warm smile, but before he could finish saying, "Of course, sweetie," she was scrambling out of his lap and across the room. He chuckled as he stood up and brushed off his pants before walking over toward Blaine and the rest of the kids. Everyone was laughing and Kurt realized it was because Blaine was making up silly songs and making goofy facial expressions – doing anything in his power to keep those kids smiling.

After a particularly enchanting ditty about flying socks, Sally ducked her head into the room and told the kids that it was time to clean up. They groaned as Blaine thanked her and went to put his guitar away.

"Sorry guys, but rules are rules," Blaine said as knelt on the floor and latched his case shut. Seeing their sad faces, he gave them a small smile, "I'll try and stop in again on Friday, okay?"

The little girl who had favored Kurt earlier walked over to Blaine. Kurt watched as she reached up and gave a softer tug on his hair that before. Looking Blaine straight in the eye, she asked, "Can you bring your boyfriend?" Hand still grasping Blaine's hair, she turned and looked at Kurt, who was blushing at being called Blaine's boyfriend. "You read stories real good, so you can come too."

Kurt crossed over to the girl and crouched down next to her. "Thank you, my dear. I'll try and come Friday too." He reached his arms out toward her. "May I have a hug, please?" She immediately let go of Blaine's hair and flung herself into Kurt's arms, almost knocking him over.

After saying multiple goodbyes to the kids, Blaine grabbed his guitar case in one hand and reached his other out for Kurt to take. The younger boy slotted his fingers between Blaine's as if they had been doing that for years and they walked back down the hall and passed the front desk. With a smile to Sally and a wholehearted promise to return Friday, the boys walked out of the shelter.

It was only nearing four, but Blaine asked Kurt if he was hungry and wouldn't mind joining him for an early dinner. Kurt agreed, glad they would have time to sit and talk as there was still so much he wanted to know about this seemingly wonderful man who was holding his hand.

Blaine was glad that Kurt was excited for the Thai place he tried to look up on his phone earlier. They settled into a booth in a far corner, giving Blaine somewhere to keep his guitar case out of the way from other patrons, as well as some privacy so they could talk.

Kurt looked around at the interior, trying to busy himself to keep from staring at Blaine, but his eyes always found their way back to this familiar stranger. He couldn't help but smile as Blaine repeatedly thanked the server who filled their water glasses and handed them menus. Handsome, great manners, the most adorable smile… Kurt was having a hard time believing that someone could actually be this good of a person.

They looked over their menus quickly, falling back on favorite dishes so they could spend more of their time talking instead of hemming and hawing over what they should order. Once the server came back and they told her what they wanted, the boys turned to each other and grinned. They finally had a few moments to themselves to just enjoy each other's company. Time was ticking and they only had a little over two days until Blaine was on a flight back to New York City.

Blaine gave a quick scan around the room, and finding that no one was paying attention to them, he put a hand palm-up on the table as an invitation for Kurt. The younger boy immediately placed his hand over Blaine's and the two of them closed their fingers on each other, grateful for the contact.

"You were so cute at the shelter today," Kurt said with an admiring smile. "I've never seen a group of kids giggle so hard at a grownup singing a song about socks." He chuckled at the recent memory before assuming a more curious tone. "Do you have a lot of experience doing that kind of thing?"

Blaine shrugged, "I mean, I used to babysit when I was in middle school and high school for the kids down the street. I like kids. They have this innocence and sense of joy that is so in the moment." His lips twisted up into a small smile. "Those kids at the shelter are just so brave. It was just nice to see them laughing, you know?"

Kurt nodded his head in agreement. For as rough as he had it sometimes with bullies and loneliness at school, he had a family who loved him and a dad and stepmother with solid jobs. He couldn't imagine living in a shelter and wondered why Blaine was so keen to spend so much time there this week when knew he wasn't going to be around long. If he didn't ask now, he knew he never would, so Kurt ran his thumb over Blaine's knuckles and summoned some courage to ask what had been on his mind since the day before. "Blaine?"

"Mmm?"

Kurt took a deep breath. "You don't have to answer this if you don't want to, but I was wondering… why did you do… that?"

"Do what?"

Cheeks threatening to flush pink, Kurt tried to put it delicately. "The homeless shelter?" Blaine gave him a confused look, not entirely sure where Kurt was going with his question. "I mean, you're only here for a week, right?" Blaine nodded. "And you don't have any ties to this city except for your brother?" Blaine nodded again. "So why did you spend time with those kids. Why did you give them money? I see other students playing in the park and they pocket their money or use it for weed or at the bar. I just…" Kurt sighed, "I just want to know who you are. What makes you tick. Why you're so… so… _you_." He was looking at the table by this point, too embarrassed to look Blaine in the eye. He was afraid Blaine would be able to see how far he was falling and they hadn't even known each other two days.

Blaine smiled as he shook his head. "Kurt," he started, "you are making me out to be someone special when really," he chuckled, "when really it was the first place I came upon the other day when I was walking." He waited for Kurt to look up at him before he continued. "To tell you the truth, that afternoon after you ran off to class, I was sitting under a tree and just playing my guitar. Before I knew it, a few people had tossed some money into my case. I was honestly just playing for fun to clear my mind, but it was too late. So, that day after I packed up, I walked around town, trying to find somewhere to give the money to and the shelter was the first place I saw. But, when I went in there, and heard that piano, I knew I was in the right place."

"But why?" Kurt still couldn't fathom why someone in their twenties would just give away money. He knew he was barely making it by, even with the scholarships he received. He wasn't broke, and knew his dad could help him out in a bind, but Kurt took any spare money he earned and kept it for a rainy day. But Blaine – Blaine just gave it away, and that made Kurt's heart ache for him even more.

Blaine blushed. He never had money troubles growing up, as his parents were rich like their parents before them. "I didn't need the money, Kurt. Between my trust fund and my job, I just… I didn't need it." He looked at Kurt with a pleading look in his eyes, almost apologetic for being financially stable at such a young age.

Kurt nodded. He understood Blaine was just trying to do something good with money that was never supposed to be his. He did earn it, but accidentally. In that moment, Kurt admired the other boy so much. He squeezed Blaine's hand and wordlessly, they agreed to change the topic.

Blaine asked Kurt how his classes were going and Kurt was happy to oblige the lighter topic. He recapped his Calculus test from earlier, making Blaine laugh with an exaggerated tale of the convoluted word problems his teacher insists are awesome, but really just confuse everyone further.

Their food was delivered when Kurt was starting to talk about his acting class. They reluctantly let go of each other's hand, but smiled and thanked their server. The two exchanged a smitten look at each other before taking a bite of their dishes, each pleased with what they ordered.

"So, acting?" Blaine prompted, wondering if Kurt would say anything about his brother.

Kurt covered his mouth as he swallowed his bite of rice and took a sip of water. "It's probably my favorite class of the semester. My teacher, Mr. Anderson, is amazing. He used to be in these, like, credit card commercials. And just by looking at him, you'd think he'd be kinda douchey, but he's so not." Kurt took another forkful of rice and chewed thoughtfully before elaborating. "He's really patient with us, and always telling us to push ourselves outside of our comfort zones. His class is really intense, but it's completely worth it."

Blaine smiled widely; glad his brother was making a positive impact on his students. He knew Coop was a great teacher even though he often teased his older brother on some of the methods he used. "That's really amazing, Kurt. I'm so glad you love what you're doing."

"Speaking of acting class," Kurt said before leaning over and digging around in his satchel for his wallet. Blaine watched the other boy set his wallet on the table and then look up at him with expectant eyes. "You asked yesterday if I was free tomorrow night and I said I wasn't because I had to see my acting teacher's brother's piano concert." Kurt shook his head, knowing full well he had just rambled a lot of information at Blaine. "Anyway," Kurt picked up his wallet and pulled out a ticket. "I was wondering if you'd like to come with me?"

Triangular eyebrows rose slowly as Kurt nervously slid a ticket toward Blaine. His own name stared back at him, daring him to say something significant. "Um… I can't."


	6. Wednesday - Part III

A/N: Here's the last part of Wednesday. Thursday chapters won't be up for a few days/a week (sorry!), but I thank you so much for sticking with me :)

Warnings for language, mentions of bullying/violence.

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.

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WEDNESDAY - PART III

"Oh." Kurt's face fell, but he quickly tried to cover up his disappointment like it was nothing. "I just thought that since you asked if I was free, then _you_ might be free, but you probably already made other plans. It's no big deal I –"

"Kurt," Blaine cut him off quietly. Now was his chance to tell Kurt the truth. It wasn't even a big deal to him at this point to tell Kurt he was the pianist, it was more that he felt nervous telling Kurt who he was because he had waited so long to do so to begin with. "Kurt, I can't go to the concert with you because I…" Hazel eyes locked on blue and in that moment, Blaine wanted nothing more than to bare his soul to the younger boy. The thought scared him so much, he almost couldn't breathe. "I can't go because I… I already made plans with my brother," he finished lamely, shoulders slumping in self-disgrace. His hand collapsed over top of the ticket, obscuring his own name that he couldn't stand to look at.

Kurt reached across the table and ran a finger over Blaine's wrist. "Hey, it's okay. Really. You're only in town for a week and you probably want to spend as much time with your brother as possible." Thinking about the words that just fell from his mouth, Kurt pulled his hand back nervously. "I'm sorry. I'm probably monopolizing your time, aren't I?"

It was Blaine's turn to reach across the table, "Kurt, no." He looped a finger over one of Kurt's. "I _love_ spending time with you." Both boys paused in surprise at Blaine's word use because it was scary how much it rang true. "It's just…" _I'm a coward,_ he thought. "Maybe we could meet up after the concert?" Kurt grinned at the thought and Blaine offered a weak smile in return. "Or sometime some time earlier in the day? Or both?" Blaine meant to sound lighthearted with his suggestions, but there was a hint of desperation in his voice. He selfishly wanted to be with Kurt as much as possible because in those moments, he felt grounded. He had someone to hold onto who he thought wanted to hold onto him in return. It was terrifying.

A wave a relief settled over Kurt. As much as he loved spending time with Blaine, he had a horrible feeling the feeling was one-sided because that's how all of his previous crushes were. With Blaine, though, this wasn't just a crush. Honest to goodness feelings were there and for once, they were coming from both parties. Though it pained him to see Blaine grasping at all opportunities to spend time with him the next day because it was a constant reminder that their time together was limited, Kurt never felt so wanted. He nodded, happy and sad tears threatening to breach the corners of his eyelids. "I have, uh, my math class again tomorrow morning, but I might be able to meet you for coffee before Shakespearean Comedy in the afternoon."

Blaine sighed, grateful for more time – not only more time with Kurt, but also more time to tell Kurt the truth before the concert the next night.

They smiled at each other, glad to be on the same page with the amount that they were enjoying each other's company. Both were falling too hard, too fast, and they still barely knew one another.

To get their mind off of what little time they had left, they started asking each other basic questions to find out more. Blaine's favorite color was red and his face turned just that when Kurt pointed out how much he loved the other boy's bowtie. Kurt's favorite musical was _Wicked _and Blaine listened as Kurt recounted a diva-off with a friend from high school where he threw the High F in "Defying Gravity" to protect himself and his father from additional bullying.

The questions game went on through dinner but paused after they ordered dessert while Kurt explained to Blaine just how much intolerance he actually went through in high school. The bruises had long faded by now, but the emotional scars ran deep, and Blaine held Kurt's hand as the younger boy shared stories with him that not even his father knew completely about.

Blaine's heart ached while Kurt explained the daily shoves into lockers and weekly slushies to the face before his glee club's rehearsal. Silent tears slid down both their cheeks as Kurt shared that his first kiss was stolen from him in the boy's locker room junior year when a football player who had repeatedly called him every homophobic slur in the books, pulled him in close and forced himself on Kurt.

"I'm so, so sorry, Kurt," Blaine whispered, wishing he could make Kurt's pain go away. He felt guilty, knowing he escaped a similar fate by being put into a private high school. Money had bought him safety and that often ate away at him.

Kurt shook him off and collected himself. "It's not your fault, Blaine. It's in the past now and I'm still here. With _you_." His eyes found Blaine's as he gave a small, but meaningful smile. "And if that's what it took, well… it was worth it."

Blaine's chest heaved in and out, feeling so much at those simple words. "Kurt," was all he could say, he voice soft and broken.

"Here's your coconut cake," the server announced, completely unaware of what she just interrupted.

After clearing his throat, Blaine coughed out as polite of a Thank You as he could toward her before turning back to look at Kurt. The younger boy had picked up a fork and was already slicing through the tip of the cake, determined to have his mouth full so he would have an excuse not to say anything right away. Blaine couldn't find the right words to respond to Kurt's admission, so he too grabbed a fork and helped himself to a bite of their dessert.

They chewed in silence, each one looking at the other, not even trying to be sneaky at this point with their obvious attraction to the other. Blaine's foot found Kurt's under the table and they linked ankles, hoping the contact would help convey what their voices could not.

Dessert was finished quickly and without another word from either boy. When it came time to get the check, Blaine slid his credit card into the folder and returned it to the server before the receipt even had a chance to hit the table. Kurt shot Blaine a look and offered to pay for his half, but Blaine said that he was the one who asked Kurt to dinner, so he wanted to pay. Kurt insisted on leaving the tip and Blaine only caved because he knew Kurt was not going to give up until he got what he wanted.

As they said goodbye to the hostess and exited the restaurant, Blaine and Kurt clasped hands and headed in the direction of Kurt's dorm. Even though he didn't have any tests to study for that night, Kurt needed to put some finishing touches on his costume sketch so he would have free time between classes for their coffee date. Blaine was not expecting Kurt to invite him up and Kurt was grateful Blaine wasn't the kind of guy who would ask that of him in the first place.

They lingered near the door, not wanting their night to end but knowing it was unavoidable. Blaine set his guitar case down and wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist. Kurt slid his arms around Blaine's neck and he leaned forward so their foreheads were touching. The younger boy's eyes fluttered to a close as he took a deep breath and then asked, "This is real, right?" Blaine swallowed and tried to compose himself as his eyes slid shut and his heart tried to beat out of his chest. He nodded and wrapped his arms tighter around Kurt, pulling them into a hug. "And you really have to leave on Friday?"

In that moment, Blaine was ready to quit his entire career and take up residence in Kurt's arms forever if it meant he could take away the sadness and fear in Kurt's voice.

With a sigh, Blaine nodded his head again. "I do," he said tearfully as he pulled away from Kurt to look the other boy in the eye. Kurt's eyes were just as glassy as his, which made everything so much better and worse at the same time. "But we're going to figure this out. Okay?" Time seemed to stop before Kurt finally gave a small nod. Blaine quickly embraced the other boy in another tight hug. "Okay."

…

Blaine keyed his way into his brother's apartment, mind occupied with how sad but beautiful Kurt looked when he left him a half hour ago. When they said their final goodnights with promises of coffee and more time together the next night, Blaine kissed Kurt softly on the forehead before picking up his guitar case and forcing himself to walk away. As he set his things down in the living room, he didn't notice his brother sitting on the kitchen counter waiting for him.

"Hey, _Blaine_," Cooper said loudly, causing the younger boy to jump. "You gonna tell me what's going on, or am I going to have to force it out of you?"

"Jesus, Coop," Blaine muttered as he yanked off his bowtie. "You gotta stop doing that."

Cooper shrugged, not really caring that he scared his brother. "My apartment, little man. I can do or say as I please." Blaine glared at his brother before making his way to the kitchen to grab them both a drink. After running into Cooper earlier in the drama building, he knew some sort of conversation was coming, so he was trying to buy some time before the inevitable happened. He hadn't even closed the refrigerator door before Cooper started the interrogation. "So, _Blaine_, how long have you been seeing Kurt?"

Blaine opened his beer, "That's none of your business." He took a sip and looked away from his brother, knowing he was being childish, but he didn't care.

"None of my business?" Cooper asked loudly. "None of my business? Blaine, you're my brother and he's my student, so I think that makes it mybusiness. How long. Have you. Been Seeing. Kurt."

Blaine exhaled through his nose. The sooner he cooperated, the sooner he could crawl into bed and wish he had done everything differently. "Since yesterday."

"Since yesterday?" Cooper repeated, making sure he heard his brother right. Blaine nodded and took another sip of beer. "So, what are you two _boyfriends_ or something?"

Blaine clenched his teeth. "It's… complicated."

"It's _complicated_?"

"I swear, Coop, if you are going to repeat every fucking thing I say, I'm done here." Blaine was angry, though mostly with himself and was taking it out on his brother.

Coop knew he had to back off a little or else he wouldn't get any more information out of his brother. He took a minute and opened his own drink, allowing Blaine some time to settle down and collect himself. "What I'm trying to understand, B, is why Kurt came early to class today to ask me for an extra ticket to _your _concert tomorrow night, only to find out that that ticket was meant for _you_. So please… what is going on?"

Blaine slumped against the closed refrigerator door and sank down to the floor. "I don't know."

"No, no, no, B. I'm not going to let you off the hook about this. I didn't say anything earlier in the hallway, but we have to talk about this. Kurt is a good kid and I'm not going to let you hurt him or yourself." Cooper hopped off the counter and sat down on the floor next to his brother. "I just want to help."

By this point, tears had pooled in Blaine's eyelids and were ready to drop at the slightest provocation. "We met a couple days ago and then ran into each other again yesterday. I didn't know who he was and he didn't know who I was, but, there was this moment," Blaine started. "And it was all just so _easy_. So we talked and I walked him home and we started making plans for the week and he said he had to go to some concert on Thursday because his acting teacher was forcing him to." One by one, the tears started to fall. "He was talking about _me_, Coop, but he didn't know and I was too scared to tell him. And then last night," he hiccoughed, "last night when you asked if he had broken my heart and I said," there was another stutter, "I said he was putting it back together because he _is_." Blaine buried his face in his hands. "I just felt so much. But it was too soon, right? You don't just _know_ these things after getting coffee with someone."

Cooper put an arm around his little brother and tried to offer him some comfort. "It's okay, B." Blaine shook his head, indicating that it wasn't. With a frown, Cooper asked, "What happened today? You guys seemed so happy when I ran into you."

"We _are_ happy. That's what's so fucked up about this whole mess," Blaine's voice was tinged with a bitterness that Cooper couldn't place. "After we bumped into you we had a great fucking day. We volunteered at a homeless shelter and had dinner at this awesome Thai restaurant and then we made plans to hang out tomorrow afternoon and after the concert."

Confused, Cooper said, "I still don't get it, B."

"He asked me to go to the concert with him tomorrow night, Coop," Blaine muttered. "And I said _no_."

Cooper thought about the logistics and began thinking out loud. "Well, you can't go with him since you have to get there early to set up and practice. But, he must have understood that, right?"

Blaine shook his head and closed his eyes, disgusted with himself. "No, Coop. I told him I couldn't go because I had plans with my brother."

"But, Blaine -" Cooper started before his brother cut him off.

"- He still doesn't know who I am, Coop. And now he's going to hate me."

The apartment went silent. Cooper looked over at his brother before resting his head against the cupboards he was leaning on. He mulled over his brother's situation while Blaine picked at the label on his beer bottle.

Cooper broke the silence first. "He's not going to hate you, B."

"I'd hate me." The words fell fast from Blaine's lips, as if they had been waiting there for a while.

The older Anderson let out a heavy sigh, wishing the younger Anderson weren't so full of self-loathing. Every since they were little, Blaine was always so hard on himself, always practicing instead of taking the time to have fun, or putting his own wants aside to please others. He got scared easily, especially after getting his hands smashed in. Blaine wasn't a pushover, but he would often make calculated decisions and opt to sacrifice himself if it meant diffusing a situation before it escalated.

"Do you love him?"

Blaine's eyebrows shot up at the ease at which Cooper delivered that seemingly simple, but oh so loaded question. "What?"

"Oh, so _now_ you want me to repeat myself?" Cooper couldn't help but smile a little before he asked again. "Do you love him?"

Searching for the right answer, but coming up short, Blaine pointed out, "Coop, it's only been two days…"

Cooper shook his head. "I asked a Yes or No question, B, not a time related one." He turned and looked his little brother in the eye and softly asked again. "Do you love him?"

Blaine's chest rose and fell as he willed himself not to have a panic attack.

Love.

That was such a small word for such a huge concept.

Blaine had never loved someone; at least not in the romantic sense. He knew what his brother was asking, but even though he knew he had feelings for Kurt, it was still too soon to simply answer Yes or No.

Though he was having trouble finding the right words, Blaine answered as honestly as he was able. "I _could_ love him, Coop… and I would. I would love him forever."

Cooper accepted this response and decided to push his brother a little farther. "Does he feel the same?"

Being loved was an almost a bizarre concept to Blaine – that there could be someone who cherished and accepted him for, and in spite of, all his faults. But he thought of the way that Kurt smiled when he rambled, or how he was already so quick to hold Blaine's hand and be so compassionate.

With a small nod, Blaine whispered, "I think so."

Cooper felt relief as he put a hand on his brother's knee. "Then he's not going to hate you. And you definitely shouldn't hate yourself."

Blaine sighed, still obviously upset with himself for not telling Kurt the truth about Thursday night. "But Coop, I lied to him."

"No you didn't, bro. You never told Kurt you _weren't_ the almighty Devon Anderson, pianist extraordinaire… you just let him get to know the real you first." He patted Blaine on the knee. "And while the real you is an idiot at times, he's also a pretty great guy." Cooper stood up from the floor and looked down at his brother. "I get that you're scared, B. But, tell him. He'll understand."

Knowing his brother was likely right, Blaine felt a little bit better about the mess he had gotten himself into. He and Kurt were planning on going to coffee the next afternoon. While it was still cutting it close to the beginning of the concert, a several-hour heads up was better than none at all.

Blaine looked up at his brother and gave him a small but grateful smile. "Thanks, Coop."

"No worries, little man." Cooper offered a hand down to his brother to help him off the floor. "Look, I don't have class until the afternoon, so we can both sleep in and then I'll take you to brunch and give you another pep talk. Sound good?"

Blaine nodded and offered a weak chuckle, "Yeah, okay."

"Fantastic." Cooper reached over and pulled his brother in for a hug. "It's gonna be alright, B." The younger Anderson's shoulders slumped as he nodded into his brother's chest. "It's gonna be alright."


	7. Thursday - Part I

A/N: Thursday will likely be 3 parts. Here is Part I... I am not even remotely sorry for what you are about to read. (Reviews are always welcome!)

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee

* * *

THURSDAY - PART I

Cooper half expected to hear his brother cry himself to sleep again, but was grateful when he didn't hear a thing before drifting off for the night.

Blaine woke up more refreshed than he expected to be. He wasn't nervous about the concert that night, but was still scared to talk to Kurt. After talking with Cooper the night before, Blaine was pretty sure that his brother was right and that Kurt wouldn't hate him. But he was also taken aback when Cooper asked if he loved Kurt and then if Kurt felt the same way in return. Blaine definitely felt something for Kurt – something strong. But, Blaine wasn't in love with him, though he knew if he gave them a chance, he could be. There were too many obstacles at the moment, but if Blaine wasn't so busy thinking about getting through the concert and flying back to New York the next day, he probably would find that his heart was filling up because of this beautiful boy he met under a tree.

After both Andersons showered and got dressed, they walked to a diner across the street from the coffee shop where Blaine was going to meet Kurt after Kurt's math class. They ordered more food than two people should probably eat, but tucking into stacks of pancakes and mountains of scrambled eggs and hash browns was their tradition and Cooper knew Blaine needed some comfort food for the rough day he had ahead of himself.

Cooper let Blaine get some food in him before he started pushing his brother's buttons. "So, B, did you figure out what you were going to say to Kurt?"

The younger Anderson brought a hand up to cover his mouth as he chewed and then swallowed a forkful of pancakes. His eyebrows rose as he took a gulp of orange juice, buying himself a few more seconds. "Well," Blaine said slowly, trying to put his thoughts into words. He had spent a bit of time thinking about an approach, weighing the pros and cons of whether he should try and ease into the topic or just tell him straight up. "I think I'm going to tell him that the reason I said I couldn't go with him to the concert tonight was because I _am_ the concert tonight. I mean, I'm sure he'll be a little confused, but then I thought I would pull out my driver's license or something and try and to explain that I'm, well, me."

Nodding, Cooper tried to imagine in his head how that would play out. Cooper knew he was probably a lot biased in thinking his little brother was one of the greatest people on the planet and he hoped Kurt saw him that way too. It blew Cooper's mind to see his younger brother falling for someone so hard and so fast because he knew that Blaine kept himself guarded out of self-preservation purposes. But, at the same time, he was so proud of Blaine for allowing himself to go for it when he knew how easy it would be for Blaine to close himself off from the possibility of personal happiness and just focus on his career.

Cooper had only had Kurt as a student for a month and a half, but knew the other boy to be compassionate and level headed. Though he was younger than Blaine by a couple years, they were both too mature for their own good, yet still had some boyish tendencies about them that Cooper found endearing. Through sharing exercises in his acting class, Cooper knew that Kurt was mostly raised by a single father and got bullied in high school, though to what extent he wasn't sure. He wondered if Blaine already knew this; he wondered if Blaine already knew _more_ than this. If Cooper were a betting man, he would wager on the latter. Cooper only saw them together for a few moments, but could already tell that they complemented each other better than couples he knew who were married for years.

"That's a good idea, little brother," Cooper said, grinning at Blaine who was already shoveling more pancakes into his mouth.

"Ou fink so?" Blaine asked with his mouth full, no longer caring about table manners.

Cooper scrunched up his nose as he balled up a napkin and threw it at Blaine's face. "Chew your food, B, or I'm going to tell Kurt to run as fast as he can in the opposite direction." A brief look of panic flashed across Blaine's face. Cooper instantly felt bad about the jab knowing that his brother need confidence in this moment and not a joke about someone who made him feel wanted running away from him.

"I would never say that to him, Blaine, I promise." Cooper quickly leaned across the table to put a reassuring hand on his brother's arm, not caring that he was dangerously close to getting his suit jacket full of syrup. "I shouldn't have even joked about that. I'm sorry." He knew his simple apology was probably not enough to convince his brother otherwise, but hopefully Blaine could see the pain in his eyes.

The truth was, Cooper wanted this to work out for Blaine. He wanted to see his brother happy in all aspects of his life because he felt Blaine deserved that more than anyone else he knew. Sure, he cared because they were brothers, but as close as they were, Cooper was never able to understand the roadblocks Blaine faced on an almost daily basis. Being ten years apart in age, Cooper wasn't home when Blaine got bullied in middle school. He couldn't sit next to his brother in the hospital after his hands were smashed and his fingers were broken. Every time he called to check on Blaine and ask how he was doing in school, all Cooper would get was a deflated "fine" before the younger Anderson quickly changed the subject. Blaine had only one boyfriend in college that Cooper knew of, but that seemed to fizzle as quickly as it began because the other boy only wanted Blaine for his impending success as a professional pianist. Blaine was alone in a constant sea of people and it pained Cooper to think that his brother might not find someone to share himself with. And if Blaine was starting to fall that hard that fast for Kurt, then Cooper was going to do everything in his power to make sure Blaine saw it through. He knew Blaine was scared, and Cooper was scared for him.

Blaine swallowed the pancakes in his mouth and slumped against the booth's back cushion, causing Cooper to pull back his hand. Suddenly he wasn't so hungry anymore and instead his insides started to churn. He wasn't going to throw up, but there was so much going on in his mind that he needed to just breathe for a minute. Cooper was just teasing him, and on some level he knew that and shouldn't have taken what his brother said to heart, but what if Kurt ran? What if Kurt didn't want anything to do with him once he knew the truth? He was pretty sure that Kurt felt the same way about him that he did about Kurt, but he was so worried that Kurt would be mad at him for not telling him the truth sooner. They only knew each other a few days and lying about a major part of his identity was not the most ideal way to build a relationship.

"I don't know about this anymore, Coop," Blaine said, addressing the table instead of his brother. "Maybe I should just break off whatever this is that is going on. I mean, who am I kidding? We've only known each other a few days… we don't even live in the same city. I couldn't even," he took a deep breath before forcing himself to continue, "I couldn't even tell him who I am." Blaine shook his head at himself, disappointed. "He deserves better than that," Blaine said quietly. "He deserves better than me."

It was Cooper's turn to shake his head. "I don't want to hear that, B." He was looking at his brother, slouched down and appearing much smaller than his already tiny frame. "The only person who deserves better than you is yourself."

Blaine's eyebrows furrowed, trying to make heads or tails of what Cooper said, and he couldn't help but smile at his brother's words. "That doesn't even make sense, Coop."

A grin spread across the older Anderson's face as he realized his brother was right. "Yeah? Well, it sounded a lot better in my head." Blaine was giggling at his expense, but he didn't care because in that moment, it was just nice to see him happy. Cooper sighed, knowing he should probably just leave everything at that, but he had promised his brother a pep talk and he was going to deliver. "Look, I know you're scared." Blaine's smile instantly faded and Cooper felt bad but he kept going. "But I think you would really regret it if you didn't try and make things work with Kurt." He saw Blaine start to squirm in his seat, but there was more he had to get out. "You're not a coward, Blaine, even though I know you think you are. You're so strong, B. _So_ strong. And Kurt is too." A corner of Blaine's mouth turned upward at the sound of the younger boy's name. "But then again, you already knew that about him, didn't you?" Blaine cheeks flushed, wordlessly answering his question. "I know you think it's too soon and I can see you fighting with yourself, but Blaine, it's okay to already feel that good with someone else." Cooper ran his hands through his hair, trying to put his thoughts into words. "I want everything for you, Blaine. And I want you to be okay with wanting things for yourself, or wanting to share things about yourself with others." Blaine was shifting around on his side of the booth, not quite knowing how to react to what his brother was saying. "So Kurt doesn't know your real name is Devon or that you play the piano for a living. Big deal. He probably does know that you're a selfless person who would rather help others than help himself or that you would do or say just about anything to get someone else to smile. He knows _you_ and he seems to like that person just fine. I really wish that you would too."

Blaine sighed through his nose, trying to take in all that his brother just said. He knew he was always harder on himself than anyone else, but it was a real reality check when Cooper spelled it out for him like that. Self-esteem was always an issue for him. Blaine knew he was good at tangible things like playing the piano or getting good grades. There were report cards and trophies, a recording contract and sold-out venues to prove that. But Blaine never thought he measured up to be someone who someone _else_ could love for all the things he wasn't so great at. He knew he rambled when he got nervous, his hair kind of went everywhere and his hand was covered in scars that would never go away. Blaine figured he was just about as imperfect as anyone could get and it was easier to tell himself that he would get used to being alone than trying to convince himself that someone would love and accept him, flaws and all. But then he met Kurt and those imperfections didn't matter so much anymore because Kurt rambled when he got nervous. And though _his_ hair always looked perfect, Kurt had scars too. And maybe, just maybe, the reason Blaine was alone for so long was that he was supposed to find Kurt. His heart swelled at the thought as he locked eyes with his brother. "I'm going to tell him." Cooper nodded his encouragement. "I'm going to tell him and it's going to be okay."

…

Kurt wished his math professor were one of those people who let class out a couple minutes early instead of trying to keep them past the hour they were supposed to be there. He grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder while the professor droned on about their homework assignment that was due next week. However, his ears perked up when it was announced that class was cancelled the following day. When he was let out a couple minutes late he practically skipped, excited to tell Blaine they had a little more time together on Friday.

His mood instantly dropped from giddy to a sulk. Tomorrow was Friday and then Blaine had to fly back to New York City. They still hadn't labeled whatever it is they were doing because they were both avoiding talking about being apart. Kurt felt selfish hoping that the talk wouldn't come until later that night because he didn't want to make the rest of his day suck more than it was already going to. He only had an hour in between classes to get coffee with Blaine before he had to run over to the drama building for his Shakespearean Comedy class. Blaine had already made plans with his brother and he had to go to that mandatory concert before he would be able to see Blaine again. However, with math class getting cancelled, Kurt's only class the following day was Acting. If he didn't like Mr. Anderson and that class so much, Kurt would seriously consider skipping. But, Mr. Anderson's brother was going to come speak with them, and it would be rude to not show up for a guest. Plus, it was just an hour. Maybe he could convince Blaine to come sit in on the class – Mr. Anderson probably wouldn't mind since they already met.

Speaking of Mr. Anderson… as Kurt neared the coffee shop where he was to meet Blaine, Kurt saw his acting teacher across the street in front of the diner, hugging a shorter man. His eyebrows rose with curiosity. He didn't know much about Mr. Anderson, but he was pretty sure he was straight.

…

"I can't breathe, Coop," Blaine muffled into Cooper's shoulder before Cooper finally loosened up on their hug a little bit.

"I can't help it, B, I'm just so excited for you." Cooper held his brother at arm's length before leaning over and planting a huge kiss on Blaine's forehead.

Blaine laughed and swatted his brother's arm as both men grinned widely. He looked at his watch and realized he had to get over to the coffee shop. "Shit, I gotta go meet Kurt. He's probably already there." He looked back up at his brother, "Thank you. For everything."

"That's what big brothers are for. Now get," Cooper turned Blaine toward the street and smacked him on his ass before giving him a friendly shove. "Go tell Kurt about your secret identity."

Blaine laughed, "All right. All right."

Cooper held his thumb up to his ear and his pinky at his mouth, pretending it was a phone. "Call me when you're done. I want alllllllll the gossip." He knew he was being silly, but he wanted to make sure his brother left in as good a mood as possible.

With a giggle, Blaine waved his hand at his brother and ran toward the corner of the intersection so he could cross the street.

…

Mortified, Kurt flung the door open to the coffee shop and stepped inside as fast as he could to avoid being seen by Blaine or Mr. Anderson. His heart was racing a mile a minute as he tried to make sense of what he just saw. Mr. Anderson just _kissed_ Blaine. Granted it was just on the forehead, but Blaine seemed really happy about it. Was that why Blaine was acting a little weird the day before when they ran into Mr. Anderson after Acting class? Because he didn't want Kurt to know that he already knew him? Or maybe that was the first time they met and they ran into each other again last night? Kurt went over the timeline in his head. He last saw Blaine around 7:30 and then got a couple texts from him, but those were all time stamped before 10:00pm. There was one more text from Blaine this morning, confirming their coffee date, but other than that, he had no idea what Blaine was up to. Not that he should have… they never discussed if they were exclusive.

Kurt's stomach dropped. He thought he and Blaine had connected on a level that he never knew was possible. It made him sick when he realized he put so much stock in this other boy, but how they really didn't know each other at all. He quickly realized he didn't even know Blaine's last name.

Just then, the door opened and Kurt's heart sank when he saw it was Blaine. Blaine who had a huge smile on his face. Blaine who Kurt _thought_ liked him. Blaine who Kurt had been falling head over heels for. Blaine who just had come from being with Mr. Anderson.

Kurt didn't know what to do or say, but before he knew it, he found himself wrapped in Blaine's arms, the older boy hugging him like his life depended on it. "I'm soooooooo sorry I'm late, Kurt! Can I please buy you some coffee?"

And just like that, Blaine's hand found the small of Kurt's back and he was ushering the younger man to the line. Kurt closed his eyes and breathed deep, thinking how if it were just ten minutes ago, he would have melted under Blaine's touch. But now, Kurt tensed and willed his feet to walk, wishing he were anywhere else at the moment or that he had the ability to turn back time.

The boys got their drinks and walked over to a corner table. Blaine sat down, all of a sudden looking nervous, while Kurt felt like running out of the coffee shop, embarrassed for ever thinking that someone older like Blaine would actually have feelings for him.

Neither knowing exactly what to say to the other, each boy took a sip of coffee that was far too hot to drink quite yet.

Blaine's confidence dropped even though his brother told him multiple times that Kurt would understand. But when Blaine looked over at Kurt, instead of being met with a warm smile or even his hand to hold, Kurt's gaze was icy and Blaine wondered if he had a rough morning.

"Did you get your Calc test back already?" Blaine asked, knowing that was his only class so far that day. Kurt thought he did well on the test, but Blaine knew sometimes even when you think you passed, sometimes that wasn't always the case.

"What?" Kurt couldn't even be bothered with thoughts of school at a time like this. "No." He took another swallow of coffee, tongue already burnt.

"Oh," Blaine said. "You looked upset about something, so I thought maybe…" The older boy squirmed in his chair, even more worried about telling Kurt the truth since he already seemed to be in a bad mood. He reached a hand across the table, hoping Kurt would take it and they could hold onto each other for a little bit, but Kurt's hands stayed firmly wrapped around his coffee cup. "Um, I kinda need to tell you something," Blaine started, "but I'm afraid you're going to get mad at me, even though my brother swears you won't. But, I thought you should hear it from me before you found out later anyway. So, I guess… I don't know how to put this, but about that concert tonight… it turns out I _am_ going to be there."

Kurt almost squeezed his cup, but thought better of it, not wanted to get scalding coffee all over his hand. His breathing became labored and he wondered if it was some sort of precursor to a full-blown heart attack. "Oh really?" The question came out more like an accusation than he meant to, but the only thing going through his mind was the look of joy on Blaine's face in the arms of Mr. Anderson. Blaine's face turned red as he nodded. Kurt could tell he wanted to say more, but no words were coming out of Blaine's mouth, which was odd because he usually rambled when he was nervous as he just had. They sat there awkwardly for a few moments before Kurt couldn't take it anymore. "I saw you, you know," he blurted out. "Outside the diner. With my – my acting teacher." Blaine's eyebrows shot up, not expecting to hear that. Kurt gave him a few seconds to defend himself, but Blaine just sat there, slack jawed. "Oh what? You didn't think I'd find out or something?" Kurt's voice started to break, but he successfully fought back tears. He was so humiliated that he just got angrier as he tried to cover up his own embarrassment. "'Oh, I'm just here for a week visiting my brother,' you said," Kurt said, mimicking Blaine's voice. "_Right._" Trying to calm himself down, Kurt shook his head and took a deep breath. "I… I trusted you, Blaine. I _trusted_ you. Turns out I don't even know you at all."

Before Blaine could say anything, Kurt got up from the table and grabbed his satchel. He shouldered the bag as he stormed out the door, leaving Blaine alone at the table with only their coffee cups as company.


	8. Thursday - Part II

A/N: Here is Thursday Part II (There will be a Part III). I'm having mixed feels here, so this might get edited differently at some point. BUT, for now... here it is. (As always, reviews are welcome.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.

* * *

THURSDAY - PART II

Bewildered, Blaine looked around the coffee shop and found the few other patrons pretending not to stare at him after the commotion Kurt caused before and while he left. Blaine's cheeks burned bright red more out of self-disgust than anything else. _He_ made Kurt react like that. _He_ made Kurt walk away in anger. He let everyone down, including himself.

Not wanting to be in the coffee shop any longer than he had to, Blaine stood up on unstable legs and somehow managed to throw his and Kurt's coffee cups away, both still partially filled with piping hot liquid.

Feeling lost, Blaine wandered to the park where it all began and sat underneath his tree. He felt naked without his guitar, but he laughed humorously to himself when he thought to himself that he didn't deserve such comfort in the moment. He thought Kurt would be mad at him, but he certainly wasn't expecting the conversation to end like that. It wasn't even a conversation, though, Blaine realized. It wasn't a conversation because he couldn't find the nerve to speak up when Kurt started questioning him. He just sat there with his mouth hanging open, like an idiot. Blaine dropped his head into his hands and pulled at his hair, trying to make sense of it all.

…

Kurt practically ran to the drama building, thinking that the further he was from the coffee shop, the less his heart would hurt. Somehow, though, it just made things worse.

He had over a half hour to go before his class, so Kurt found a secluded hallway and dropped himself and his satchel onto an empty bench. He was feeling so much at once that his head hurt. He was upset at himself for falling so hard for someone he really didn't know that well. He was frustrated with Blaine for keeping some sort of relationship with his acting teacher a secret. He was embarrassed for making a scene at the coffee shop. But mostly he was just confused. Kurt could tell Blaine was trying to say something to him, but for someone who usually rambled when he got nervous, the older boy had just clammed up. Kurt kicked himself for not being patient, but he was just so caught off guard by Blaine and Mr. Anderson giggling and being so intimate with each other that he just lashed out at the other boy. He had never been in a relationship before and even though he and Blaine had never made anything official, they were more than just friends. Kurt was scared and his first reaction was to think that Blaine wanted more than just him because Kurt never thought he had much to offer anyone else. There was a large part of Kurt that hoped it was all a misunderstanding, but the small part of him that feared it to be real was just too over-stimulated at the moment.

Just then, Kurt's phone beeped, signaling he had a new text message.

_Kurt. I need to talk to you. Please let me explain. xBlaine_

A tear rolled down his cheek as he quickly typed:

_Not now_

After pressing send, Kurt turned off his phone and slumped where he sat, wishing he could feel something other than miserable.

…

Under the tree, Blaine read Kurt's text. Torn between respecting Kurt's request and making things right, Blaine scrolled through his contacts until he landed on Kurt's name. He pressed the call button and put the phone up to his ear. The call went straight to voicemail, so Blaine did what nervous Blaine did best – he rambled.

"Kurt, it's me. It's Blaine. Please call me back. I need to explain myself. I just – I need to talk to you. I promise I'll leave you alone after if that's what you want, but you gotta let me – just, I need – god, Kurt, please. I should have told you days ago. It's just – I… I'm sorry. I fucked up. I _know_ I fucked up and you deserve so much better than that - so much better than me - but please, I just need to tell you before the concert tonight. Please Kurt. I never w-"

He was cut off by the automated message asking him if he wanted to hear his recording. Blaine ended the call and hoped that Kurt would listen to his message. This was something he needed to do in person or at the very least over the phone. Kurt deserved better than a text, he thought to himself. Kurt deserved better than him.

…

Cooper was in his office, reading through some scenes he wanted to give to his acting students the following week. He kept looking at his watch, wondering how Blaine was doing. Blaine was supposed to be getting coffee with Kurt until around 1:00, so Cooper was trying to wait patiently for his brother to call him and let him know how Kurt took the news. Cooper knew Kurt wouldn't be upset at Blaine because he was the piano player – in fact, Cooper was pretty sure Kurt didn't care about that sort of thing. It wasn't like Blaine was in a boyband, or was famous enough to be hounded by paparazzi or anything. Cooper did think that Kurt would probably be a bit peeved that Blaine waited three days to tell him, but would likely get over it because Blaine was such a good guy and it's hard to stay mad at him for long, even when he does bone-head things like that. If Kurt was half as crazy about Blaine as Blaine was about Kurt, those two were going to be just fine.

Around 12:45pm, Cooper's phone rang. He grinned when he saw it was his brother. "Hey there Blainers. You two – " Cooper's grin faded as quickly as it sprouted. He listened for a moment to his brother talking, but his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Slow down, B. What did he say?" Cooper's eyebrows shot straight up. "He said he _saw_ us? Outside the diner?" Nodding as his brother talked over the phone, Cooper tried to piece together what Blaine was saying to make sense of it all when it finally hit him. "Blaine, hold on buddy. Did you get a chance to tell him your name or show him your license like you said you were going to do?" Cooper winced when he heard the answer and he shook his head, realizing the truth. "Okay, B. Listen to me, okay? Kurt still doesn't know you're _you_." There was a beat before Cooper continued. "He still thinks you're just Blaine. Look, B, Kurt saw us together, but I don't think he thinks we're brothers." Cooper brought a hand up to his forehead and rubbed at his eyebrows. "Blaine – I think he thinks we're _together_." Beat. "Yes, together together. Like… _intimately_." Cooper looked down at his watch as he listened to his brother react poorly to the news. "Blaine, look. I'm not going to be home before you have to leave for the theater. Are you going to be okay? … Just, try and focus on your show. I know it's going to be hard, but you can do it. I know you can do it. _Devon_ can do it. Okay? Just for a little while, B. Game face, little man. We'll figure this out though, okay? …. I love you."

Cooper hung up the phone and put his head in his hands.

…

It didn't even cross Blaine's mind that Kurt would think that he was cheating on him with his own brother, of all people. Because why would he want to be with anyone but Kurt? It quickly dawned on him that he and Kurt never quantified their relationship. In Blaine's mind, they were exclusive, as there was no one he wanted to be with in the whole world except for Kurt. But, they never talked about exclusivity, or even asked if the other one was in a relationship, let alone wanted to be in a relationship. It was too soon to declare love, but Blaine knew in an instant that he would rather spend time with Kurt than anyone else. He smacked a hand to his forehead and let out a groan. He was so busy feeling these feelings for Kurt that he never took the time to say them out loud. And now after this misunderstanding with Cooper, Blaine feared that Kurt would never talk to him again.

Blaine looked down at his phone, desperately wanting to call Kurt, but knowing the other boy's phone was likely off and that he would be in class soon. Blaine knew he himself had to get back to Cooper's apartment to pick up his tux for the concert, as well as his hair gel and contacts. Performance mode meant putting his glasses away and plastering his curls into submission so that none fell over his eyes as he played. He was expected to be polished and come across as a consummate performer because people usually paid big bucks to hear him play.

Forcing himself up off the ground, Blaine didn't even bother brushing off his pants before wandering off in the direction of his brother's apartment.

…

Kurt didn't know how it was possible, but he made it through his Shakespearean Comedy class without incident. He turned in his sketch at the beginning of class and somehow managed to participate in discussion here and there. His mind was mostly on Blaine and he was trying to figure out what to do. He wanted to talk to Blaine again, but was struggling to figure out how and when to do that. He had voice lessons after his Shakespearean Comedy class and then knew he had to get something to eat before the concert. There was no way he was going to sit through some pianist on an empty stomach, especially knowing that he had to sit near Mr. Anderson for attendance purposes. A hungry Kurt was a bitchy Kurt, and Kurt was already in the foulest of moods.

He prayed to a God he didn't believe in that Blaine would not be sitting near his acting class.

…

Blaine checked his phone periodically throughout the afternoon, willing for it to ring, or even beep with a text from Kurt. When he got to the venue, he hung his garment bag up on a hook in his dressing room and sat down at the vanity. His manager was finally in town (Blaine had managed to convince him he wasn't needed until the day of the show) and had set a program on the shelf under his mirror. With hesitant hands, he picked it up and ran a hand across the cover, ghosting his fingers over his name and picture. Instead of showing his face, Blaine liked to use the picture of him from behind, leaning over the piano keys with his hands hovering, ready to crash down onto the ivories. The light caught on the gel in his hair and he was playing to an empty auditorium. The picture wasn't even taken by a professional photographer, but by Cooper who had walked in on him messing around on the piano well before one of his concerts the year prior. Blaine had just finished doing his hair, but wanted to test out the acoustics in the room, so he snuck out onto the stage and was playing "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" while singing at the top of his lungs. No one but Blaine and Cooper knew that was going on in the picture and that made the cover that much more special to him. It was his way to share what he loved with others, yet still managing to have an inside joke with his brother that Blaine was on the cover of the program; not Devon.

He flipped through the program, quickly scanning his bio to make sure he had thanked all the right people and everything was spelled right. Devon Blaine Anderson's life and professional information was crammed into a handful of paragraphs for everyone to read but for few to understand. It was the words that were missing that almost meant more than the ones that were actually typed out. Devon Blaine Anderson was well educated and had a list of accolades that would make the average person roll their eyes. Blaine Anderson was broken hearted and scared that the person he was growing to care most for despised him with every fiber of his being. With a heavy sigh, Blaine put the program down and reached for his makeup bag where he dug out his jar of hair gel.

…

Kurt wished he had more time before he had to be in his seat. During dinner, he finally turned his phone back on and forced himself to listen to Blaine's voicemail. It pained him to hear the other boy begging for him to hear him out. The pleads sounded genuine and it almost broke Kurt's heart to hear Blaine sound so wounded, but Kurt was still so angry with the situation. Blaine had said he should have told Kurt days ago. Something wasn't adding up and Kurt could not figure out what going on. And why was Blaine so insistent on speaking to him before the concert?

After throwing his trash away in the dining hall, Kurt ducked into the restroom to check on his hair and collect himself. He wasn't ready to see Blaine or Mr. Anderson, but he knew that he was going to see them whether he liked it or not.

…

Cooper sat in the front row of the venue, writing down the names of his students as they entered to keep track of who actually showed up and who didn't. The seats were all together, so it wasn't hard to see who already had shown up; he was more using his list as a means to kill time. He hadn't spoken with his brother since earlier in the afternoon, as he knew Blaine always kept his phone off the last couple hours before a performance. It was a way for him to calm down and focus, allowing himself to settle into concert-mode without feeling pressure from last minute phone calls or texts from his parents and representation.

Seats were filling up around him, so he wasn't surprised when out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone needing to get into his row. Cooper reached forward to shove his satchel under his chair and mumbled an apology before standing up to let the person by.

"Oh hey… Kurt."

…

Blaine paced back and forth in one of the wings. The house lights had flashed, so there was only five minutes until show time. For the first half of the show, he was going to play some familiar pieces by the likes of Beethoven and Chopin that the audience was already probably familiar with to keep them entertained. He always waited until after intermission to sneak in some more contemporary music. That was his favorite part of the show – allowing himself to share newer music with an audience and hoping they felt it just as much as he did.

He gripped his phone in his hand, wishing it would make a sound. Kurt never called or texted him back and it was going to be too late to tell him the truth by time he stepped out onto the stage. Once Kurt flipped through the program, Blaine hoped he would recognize his face next to his bio and understand that while he is Blaine, he was also Devon – and, more importantly given that afternoon – his acting teacher's brother. He wished he were the one to tell Kurt instead of cowardly avoiding the subject until it was obviously too late, but there was nothing he could do about it now.

…

"Excuse me," Kurt said to Mr. Anderson as civilly as he could before stepping over the satchel on the floor and down the aisle. He groaned to himself when he saw his ticket indicated they were seated two chairs apart and the middle person had not arrived yet.

Before he could even sit down, Mr. Anderson was leaning over toward him, "Kurt, I know what you think you saw earlier and I just wanted to say – "

Kurt's eyes widened, "Could we not do this now? Please?"

Cooper sighed, "Look, my brother told me what happened –"

Kurt snorted, completely not amused by his acting teacher's insistence to keep talking. "Not to be rude," Kurt hissed, "But what the hell does any of _this_ have to do with your brother?"

In an instant, Cooper knew that Blaine never got a chance to clear things up and Kurt was about 60 seconds away from seeing Blaine walk out onto the stage. He scrambled for his program, flipping quickly to Devon Blaine Anderson's bio and shoving the folded booklet at Kurt. "He wanted to tell you. Please, just – he… he wanted to tell you."

Kurt looked down at the program and saw a glimpse of familiar eyes before the house lights fell completely dark. In front of him, the stage curtains parted, revealing a grand piano. Applause sounded in the auditorium as a solitary figure walked on from the wing and crossed to the front of the piano. Though his glasses and curly hair were gone, Kurt's jaw dropped at the sight of Blaine, standing alone in his crisp tux jacket and pants. There was a small smile on the older boy's face, but Kurt could see a forlorn look in his eye. This wasn't just Blaine in serious-mode, this was a heartbroken man who was about to force himself through a piano concert. Kurt's anger melted away as his brain quickly pieced together the chain of events from this afternoon. He was still upset, but the reality of it all was so much less worse than what Kurt had initially thought. Kurt's heart pounded in his chest, wishing he could go to the other man and reassure him that all was not lost. Instead, he watched Blaine take a small bow before seating himself on the piano bench.

…

The first half of the concert flew by for Blaine. Though he had sheet music in front of him, he was only able to keep himself together by keeping his head down and plowing through each song as if each note were one step closer to the freedom of intermission where he could retreat to his dressing room instead of being out on display for all to see. Normally he thrived on stage, but that night he felt like he was choking for he knew Kurt was somewhere out there in the audience, probably getting madder and madder with each passing minute.

When he played the final note of his last piece in the first half of his concert, Blaine scrambled to his feet and stood next to the piano. He took a bow and nodded graciously at the audience as they cheered and applauded for him. He bowed even deeper and put a hand to his heart. Finally taking a second to breathe, he saw his brother on the aisle and gave a weak smile. Cooper quickly mouthed _He Knows_ and gave him apologetic smile in return. Blaine gave a nod, hoping his brother understood and then walked off the stage as quickly, but still professionally, as possible. He hoped to get to his dressing room before the first of the tears he knew were coming fell.

…

As soon as Blaine was off stage, Kurt bolted from his seat and started making his way to the aisle, almost tripping over Cooper's legs.

"Kurt, wait!" Cooper reached up to grab Kurt and steady the boy as his student gracelessly tried to shuffle his way out.

With firm shakes of his head, Kurt muttered, "I have to find him. I just – I have to see him."

Finally getting his feet free and standing upright, Kurt jogged up the aisle and out to the lobby door, leaving Cooper staring after him.

…

Blaine sat at his vanity with his head in his hands. His heart was racing, partially from the natural high he got after playing the piano in front of a packed house and partially because Kurt knew. He tried to calm himself down, knowing he had about ten minutes before he had to make his way to the stage again.

In the middle of one of his breathing exercises, Blaine heard the door to his dressing room open. He figured it was his manager, but hoped it was his brother. He really needed a hug, or some sort of physical contact, to ground him before his heart beat out of his chest.

Kurt was breathless as he held onto the doorknob. He was so used to seeing Blaine in more casual attire and looking more like a mess and less like he was on his way to his own wedding or something. His heart leapt as Blaine turned around, but then sank when he saw the pained look in the other boy's eyes.

"Kurt." His name came out equal parts broken and hopeful as Blaine locked eyes with the younger boy. Tears dripped one by one down Blaine's cheeks and onto his lapel as his face crumbled. "I'm so sorry, Kurt. I'm so, so, sorry."

Crossing the room in several quick steps, Kurt approached Blaine just as the pianist was standing up. They wrapped each other in a fierce hug, desperately needing to hold onto the other in proof that this wasn't over yet. Blaine's hands splayed widely across Kurt's back, trying to touch as much of him as he could.

After a few moments they pulled apart, but only far enough to look each other in the eye. Red and puffy hazel eyes stared deep into glassy pools of blues and greens.

Blaine opened his mouth to apologize again, but before any words could come out, he was silenced by Kurt's lips covering his own. The tension leaked from Blaine's shoulders as he instinctively wrapped his arms tighter around Kurt and deepened the kiss.

Intermission drew to a close as Kurt and Blaine's mouths desperately tried to make up for lost time.

By time Devon Anderson was being called back to the stage, both boys knew they were down to their final 24 hours together.


	9. Thursday - Part III

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! (Reviews of any kind are always welcome :) )

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.

* * *

THURSDAY - PART III

Blaine and Kurt reluctantly parted lips before closing their eyes and leaning their foreheads against each other. Their hearts pounded as their minds raced, dizzy with infatuation and worry with the uncertainty of their future. But, right then and there, they were together and that was overwhelming in the best way possible.

"We'll have to talk," Blaine said softly.

Kurt nodded against his forehead. "I know."

A stage manager ducked in the dressing room once more to remind Devon that he needed to get back to the stage.

Kurt turned to leave the room first, knowing he had to make it back to his seat before the house lights went down.

"Can I see you after the show?" Blaine called to Kurt as the younger boy was almost to the door.

Kurt paused before heading back down the hallway. "I'm all yours." He flashed Blaine a bashful smile before taking off toward the auditorium doors.

With a dopey grin, Blaine turned toward the vanity to check his appearance before walking back to the stage. His cheeks flushed when he saw a crooked tie and swollen lips. However, the sparkle was back in his eyes and he felt ready to take on the world.

…

"Excuse me," Kurt said nearly breathless as he jogged back to his row just before the auditorium darkened.

Cooper looked up at his student whose hair was slightly out of place and cheeks were bright red, though obviously not from running. "Oh. Hey." He moved his legs so Kurt could squeeze by to get to his seat. "I take it you found him."

Kurt's eyebrows shot up as he practically collapsed into his seat.

His teacher chuckled as the house lights went down. Cooper leaned over and whispered to his student. "I'm just messing with you, Kurt. Enjoy the rest of the show, okay?"

Borderline embarrassed, Kurt slumped down in his seat a little bit as the stage curtains parted. He quickly sat up straighter when Blaine walked out from the wing and once again crossed in front of the piano to take a bow. This time, Blaine flashed a wide grin as he was met with loud applause.

…

Seated behind the piano for the second time that night, Blaine was in his element. He was able to set aside the stress of not knowing where he and Kurt stood in their relationship after the following day and dove completely into his music knowing that somehow, it was going to be all right. He didn't know how, but in that moment he couldn't be bothered. The feel of Kurt's lips on his own was still fresh in his mind and Blaine was unable to wipe the smile off his face as he masterfully played his way through the rest of his concert. The music was cheerfully up-tempo and it brought him joy to be sharing what he was feeling inside with the hundreds of people sitting in the audience. Blaine's hands glided across the keys with confidence and purpose.

Kurt watched Blaine lose himself in the music and felt himself falling for the older boy even more. He had a feeling Blaine played that passionately whether he was performing for a handful of people or a sold-out crowd. Though they never talked about what music meant to Blaine, Kurt could just tell that every time he pressed down on a key, Blaine was moving a story forward. Each note was a word and when strung together, they told you everything Blaine was feeling inside. Kurt blushed in the dark and squirmed in his seat, secretly thrilled to be let in on this aspect of Blaine's life. Watching him play suddenly because such an intimate and private moment to Kurt even though Blaine was offering himself to the public.

When Blaine played the final note of his final song of the night, he smiled to himself as the whole room burst into applause. Kurt shot up out of his seat, leading a standing ovation for the pianist. He clapped loudly, eye sparkling with pride for that beautiful man up on stage. Cooper smiled widely as he watched Kurt applaud enthusiastically for his brother. It gave him such a warm feeling inside knowing that there was someone who genuinely cared for Blaine. Though he still didn't really know the extent of Kurt and Blaine's relationship, he could tell from watching Kurt that there was definitely something real there and he felt so happy for Blaine to have that kind of support. He was grateful for whatever happened during intermission because Kurt looked 100% smitten with Blaine again.

Blaine bowed on stage, smiling so big that his face would have hurt if he weren't just so damn happy. He loved performing and it was a real thrill to hear that kind of response after pouring himself into a concert. The applause was thunderous and lasted for several minutes. Blaine could do nothing but keep smiling and bowing, wishing he could give everyone a collective hug for embracing him and his music that night.

…

After the last of the audience cleared out, Cooper and Kurt found themselves standing together outside of Blaine's dressing room. They had seen him briefly in the lobby a few minutes after the concert ended. He shook hands and took pictures with anyone who asked, taken aback by the number of younger people who approached him. He gladly signed copies of programs and a few CDs that people had brought with them or purchased at the small merchandise table run by his manager. Only when the last person was filtering out of the lobby did Blaine excuse himself and jog back to his dressing room. He didn't want to keep Kurt or Cooper waiting, but he had to change out of his tux.

Kurt and Cooper waited silently for Blaine. Cooper didn't know what to say or how to act in the situation, as he was not only Kurt's teacher, but also Blaine's older brother. Kurt felt equally awkward, knowing that Cooper knew Kurt thought he and Blaine were fooling around earlier that day before the miscommunication was cleared up. They both eagerly awaited Blaine walking out the door, hoping his presence would make everything less weird.

A couple minutes passed before the dressing room door open and Blaine stepped out wearing jeans, a hoodie and glasses. Opting not to waste time washing the gel out of his hair, his curls were still held down, though the encrusted case couldn't keep a few stray wisps from starting to escape near his temple.

Blaine instantly dropped the garment bag he was holding and threw his arms around Cooper, both Andersons grinning and laughing. Kurt smiled shyly as he watched the ease at which the brothers got along. He was still embarrassed about earlier, but he now realized that the Anderson brothers were just very touchy-feely people, especially with each other.

The Andersons separated after several hearty claps on the back and Blaine immediately turned to Kurt. His eyes looked hopeful as his chest heaved. He was so full of adrenaline from performing and so glad to see Kurt standing there. He didn't think Kurt would leave after the show – not after how they parted at intermission – but he was still so grateful for this second chance he was given.

Cooper watched as Blaine gently wrapped his arms around Kurt. He smiled to himself as Kurt blushed and slowly slid his arms around Blaine's back. He knew that Kurt was probably feeling a little awkward to be showing this kind of intimacy in front of his teacher, but Cooper wasn't going to leave his brother's side just yet.

Blaine turned his head slightly and whispered in Kurt's ear, "I was playing for you" and Kurt's cheeks burned brighter red. They separated after Cooper cleared his throat, reminding the two boys that they were not alone. Blaine shot his brother a not even remotely close to threatening glare as he unwrapped his arms from Kurt to then clasp one of his hands in Kurt's. After giving Kurt's hand a reassuring squeeze that everything was fine with Cooper, Blaine looked over at his brother. "So, what's the plan?"

Cocking his head and weighing his options, Cooper addressed Kurt. "Usually I take B out after one of his concerts, but…" he looked down at their joined hands, "why don't you two go out and celebrate and I'll just head home to catch up on some grading."

Kurt looked up at Cooper, then over at Blaine, then back at Cooper. "Come out with us? Please?" He turned to Blaine, "I mean, it's up to you. Or if you just want to go out with your brother, that's fine too. I know we still need to talk, but you and your brother obviously have this tradition and I don't want to get in the way. We can just meet up tomor – "

"Kurt," Blaine said through a laugh as he brought their joined hands up to his lips so he could gently kiss Kurt's knuckles. "That's a great idea." He smiled as Kurt chewed on his own lip, feeling his heart swell at the younger boy's suggestion. Turning to Cooper he asked, "So what do you say? Can we go get some pizza?" Blaine waggled his eyebrows at his brother, causing Cooper to chuckle.

"Come on, let's go you two."

…

They were seated at a booth in the back corner of some dive of a pizza parlor just off campus. The interior of the place left something to be desired, but it was rumored to have the best pizza in town. After placing an order for an extra large pepperoni pizza and a pitcher of Coke Zero, Kurt excused himself to the restroom, leaving the Andersons alone at the table.

Cooper watched Blaine watch Kurt walk away from the table, eyes on him like he was the most precious person on earth. "So, I take it you two made up from earlier." It wasn't a question – the younger boys were obviously back on track after their miscommunication from the diner that morning.

"What?" Blaine asked as he brought his attention around to his brother. "Oh… yeah." Blaine blushed.

Deciding he should say something while Kurt wasn't there, Cooper asked, "You two figure out what you're going to do yet? When you leave, I mean." Cooper was so afraid to see his brother's heart break so soon after it seemed to finally come around to being whole again. Blaine shook his head, a slight frown starting to form. He looked down at the table and started fiddling with a paper napkin. "Hey, I didn't mean to make you sad, buddy." Cooper reached across the table and put a hand on his brother's arm. Blaine nodded in understanding and tried to convince himself and his brother that Cooper's words weren't the source of his anguish.

After a couple moments of silence, Blaine looked over toward the bathroom doors to make sure Kurt wasn't on his way back yet. "Coop?"

"Yeah, B?"

Blaine sighed, "Um, is it okay with you if I … if I ask Kurt to spend the night?" Cooper's eyebrows raised, but before he could say anything, Blaine quickly tried to explain himself. "It's not like that. It's just that he and I still need to talk and I'm gone in less than 24 hours and I… I don't want to spend any time apart from him if I don't have to." Cooper gave him another look; this time wordlessly asking what he felt was an obvious question. "Jesus, we're not going to _do_ anything, if that's what you're thinking. I just – I need to figure this out with him. Please?"

Cooper sighed through his nose and leaned back against the booth cushion. His brother was technically an adult even though it was sometimes hard to see him that way. Truth be told, he was actually really proud of Blaine for wanting to see this through after having some moments of self-doubt earlier. He studied his brother's face and saw the vulnerability in his eyes. Nodding, Cooper agreed to Blaine's request. "Yeah, sure, B. You can ask him."

"Ask who what?" Kurt asked as he slid back into the booth next to Blaine.

"Oh, nothing," Blaine said. "I'll tell you later, okay?"

Kurt nodded and reached for Blaine's hand under the table. Blaine's fingers instantly tangled in his and they smiled sweetly at each other. Cooper could tell even if they couldn't, but Kurt and Blaine were well on their way to something stronger than any distance could break up.

…

Laughter was a constant presence throughout their meal. Cooper would share an embarrassing anecdote about when Blaine was a toddler and Blaine was quick to share a mortifying story from Cooper's high school years. Kurt's cheeks hurt from smiling so much, but he couldn't help it – the Anderson brothers were so full of love and an inherent need to tease each other that it was honestly one of the most fun nights Kurt had had in a while.

Cooper noticed that Blaine and Kurt's hands never separated during their meal. Though it sometimes made passing something a little awkward, Cooper thought it was sweet (albeit borderline sickeningly so) that they were both trying to be close to the other as their time together was running out. Blaine was forced to use his right hand to pick up his cup of soda or eat his pizza. Every now and again, Cooper would catch a glimpse of the scars scattered across his brother's palm and his heart ached for the middle schooler who was beaten down. Though he knew how easy it would have been for Blaine to give up fighting, he was so proud of the man he was becoming. He looked so happy sitting there next to Kurt and Cooper hoped he could hold onto that forever.

…

Blaine and Kurt both tried to argue with Cooper when the check arrived after their meal, but he smacked their hands away before stealing it for himself. He was glad to treat these two to dinner, feeling it was the least he could do for the long night they would likely have ahead of themselves.

Once outside the restaurant, Kurt thanked Cooper again for dinner. He thought it would be weird, going out with Blaine and his teacher, but during the meal, Kurt only saw Cooper as Blaine's older brother and not his acting teacher. Though acting class was brought up when Cooper reminded Blaine that he was to come speak to his students the following afternoon, that was the only "business" addressed over pizza.

Still hand in hand, Kurt quietly asked Blaine, "Will you walk me back to my dorm?"

Blaine glanced over at his brother, silently asking if it was still okay he invite Kurt over, and Cooper nodded. He then turned back around to Kurt and said that he would gladly walk with him

Cooper said goodbye to the boys, even though he knew he would likely see both of them again within the hour. He then offered to take Blaine's garment bag before walking off toward his apartment while Kurt and Blaine headed back to campus.

Their hands swung between them as they strolled down the sidewalk. The walk was mostly silent until they stopped in front of the dorm's door. Kurt looked up, wanting to ask Blaine to stay, but not knowing how. Luckily, Blaine beat him to the punch.

"Kurt," Blaine started nervously. "Can you – I mean, would you spend the night with me? At Coop's – uh, my brother's apartment?" The younger boy's eyes widened, having never been asked that before. Even though he was just about to suggest the same thing, a momentary flash of panic danced across his eyes, wondering if this implied something he knew he wasn't ready for. Blaine seemed to sense Kurt's worry and he quickly ran a hand down the younger boy's arm. "Kurt no, I'm not expecting anything. We don't have to _do_ anything, I just… I want to be with you. Be close to you. I leave tomorrow and we still have to – we _need_ to talk – but I can't stand thinking about not spending as much time with you as I can before I'm gone and –"

Blaine stopped talking as Kurt moved his free hand up to cup Blaine's cheek. The pianist leaned into the touch as he watched the corners of Kurt's mouth twist up into a small smile.

"Come up with me while I pack a bag?"

…

From Kurt's desk chair, Blaine looked around the room while Kurt grabbed some pajamas and clothes for the following day. Even though it was a standard dorm set up, the room screamed Kurt. There were swatches of fabric pegged carefully to a bulletin board along with sketches of a few period costumes. Picture frames could be found dotted throughout the room, featuring Kurt with someone Blaine assumed to be his father, as well as pictures with friends from high school. Posters from different musicals and classic movies from the 40s and 50s lined the walls and the bed was immaculately made with Dior gray sheets and bedding.

Blaine saw Kurt pause before a line of tubes and pots that were atop his dresser. He watched as Kurt went to dump all the products into a plastic pouch but then stopped himself and only took a few. After grabbing a toothbrush, Kurt reached for a towel before Blaine called out, "Oh, Coop's got extra towels." Unhanding the towel, Kurt slowly turned to look at Blaine. This was really happening. He was about to spend the night with someone he cared deeply for and even though that terrified him, he couldn't wait to be with Blaine for as much time as humanly possible before the following night.

"I'm ready," Kurt announced, shouldering his bag.

Smiling, Blaine eased himself out of the desk chair before crossing over to hold the door open for Kurt.

Hand in hand again, they walked to Cooper's apartment building.

"This isn't going to be weird is it? I mean, does your brother know I'm coming?" Even though Kurt was comfortable being around Cooper at the pizza parlor, it was a completely different situation spending the night with Blaine at his teacher's apartment.

Blaine chuckled at Kurt's questions, "Yeah, he knows. I – uh – asked him if I could ask you over when you were in the restroom at the pizza place. He was really cool about it, actually. I think he knows what we're up against, you know… with time and stuff."

Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand, "We're going to figure this out."

The pianist could only nod; worried his voice would waver from the lump forming in his throat.

…

Blaine keyed his way into his brother's apartment hoping Cooper was already in bed. It was after 11:00pm by that point and Cooper had a 10:00 class to teach the following morning. He knew Cooper really was fine with him having Kurt over, but there was a small part of Blaine that worried Cooper would not pass up an opportunity to embarrass him.

"Hey guys," Cooper called from the couch. He was in pajama pants and a worn /savings t-shirt with his feet kicked up onto the coffee table.

Kurt blushed as he held tight to Blaine's hand. "Hi. Um, thanks for letting me stay over."

Cooper flashed Kurt a smile, "You're welcome." The older Anderson looked over at his brother who was silently pleading for Cooper to get lost. "You worried I'm going to say something, B? Maybe tell you guys to keep it down or that the condoms are in the bottom drawer in the bathroom?" Both Kurt and Blaine's eyebrows shot up, causing Cooper to laugh loudly. "Relax. I'm kidding. I trust you two, okay?" He got up from the couch and clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder as he passed by them, taking the long way to his bedroom. "I'll be gone by nine, but there's eggs and bagels and stuff in the kitchen for breakfast tomorrow morning. I hope you guys figure everything out. Honest." He left the two boys standing with their mouths hanging open in the living room. "See you guys at class tomorrow. G'night." Cooper's bedroom door shut and neither boy heard or saw him again the rest of the night.

...

After asking Kurt if he wanted anything to eat or drink, Blaine led the other boy to the guest room where he had taken up residence for the week. Though it wasn't Blaine's room, there were pictures of the youngest Anderson and his brother all over the place. There were pictures of ten-year old Cooper holding his baby brother, staged family portraits in holiday attire, and silly pictures of them at Disney World. There was a bulletin board with programs and newspaper clippings about Devon Anderson's piano career and bookcases full of acting books and scripts.

Blaine's suitcase was lying open on the floor, with unfolded clothes spilling out. His garment bag was hanging from the back of the closet door and his guitar case was propped up on a chair nearby. A queen-sized bed was haphazardly made up with green and blue plaid bedding and there was a large Wolverine stuffed animal squished between a pillow and the wall.

"Um, do you want to change into your pajamas? There's a bathroom right down the hall."

Kurt nodded his head, "Yeah. I'll be – I'll be right back." He let go of Blaine's hand and excused himself from the guest room. Once he was gone, Blaine looked around the room, making sure everything was okay and finding nothing too out of place. He grabbed a fresh pair of boxers from his suitcase, as well as some pajamas pants and an Oberlin t-shirt, then sat on the bed waiting for Kurt to get back. He didn't know how long Kurt would be and didn't want to run the risk of Kurt walking in on him changing clothes. It wouldn't have been the end of the world, but he thought Kurt already seemed nervous enough that he didn't want to make him more uncomfortable.

After a few minutes, there was a knock on the door. Blaine got up and opened the door to find Kurt dressed in flannel pants and a Hummel Tire & Lube shirt. He couldn't help but smile, which in turn made Kurt smile out of embarrassment.

"What?" Kurt asked shyly.

Blaine shook his head. "Nothing. You just look cute in your pajamas, that's all."

Kurt looked down at what he was wearing. "I'm in a t-shirt, Blaine."

The pianist's smile grew wider. "I know." Blaine raised a hand and pulled at one of Kurt's sleeves. "It's kinda adorable." He held up his own pajamas. "I'm gonna go change. Make yourself at home."

Blaine stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him. Kurt looked around and didn't quite know what to do with himself. He set his overnight bag down on the floor next to Blaine's suitcase and then stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. Kurt didn't want to sit down on the bed, so he took the opportunity to look around. A few minutes passed and Blaine still wasn't back, so he carefully took an acting book off the shelf and started flipped through it.

A couple minutes later, there was a knock at the door before it opened and Blaine stepped back into the guest room. He was towel drying his hair as he crossed the room. "Sorry I took so long. I had to get that gel out or else I was going to be in trouble tomorrow morning."

Kurt smiled and slotted the book back onto the shelf in its proper place while Blaine gave his curls a few more passes with the towel before draping it over the back of a chair.

The two boys looked at each other, both grateful to be in each other's presence, but not entirely sure of knowing what they should be doing or saying. It had been a weird day and now there they both were, in their pajamas, hoping the other would do or say something.

It was Blaine who finally broke the silence. "This is kinda awkward, right?" Kurt couldn't help but burst into a fit of giggles as he nodded his head, agreeing with Blaine. "Come here," Blaine said softly through a smile, reaching for Kurt.

The younger boy walked toward Blaine and they wrapped their arms around each other, hooking their chins over the other's shoulder. The stood silently, holding each other tightly, feeling safe and wanted.

"Can I tell you something?" Kurt asked in a whisper.

Blaine nodded, "Anything."

There was a small sniffle and Blaine felt something wet drop onto his shirt. "I'm scared." Blaine's heart dropped as he held Kurt as closely as he could. "I've never felt like this… but it's too soon. Right? It's too soon to feel like you're falling…" A small sob fell from Kurt's lips, choking off the rest of his sentence.

Blaine eased up his hold on Kurt and pulled back, placing his hands on Kurt's shoulders. His own eyes were glassing over, with all his fears and emotions flooding to the surface. "Kurt," Blaine said softly. "Oh, Kurt. Don't cry." He brought a hand to Kurt's cheek and wiped away the younger boy's tears. "I'm scared too. But you know what… I feel it too." Blaine wiped more tears away from Kurt's eyes before taking a swipe at his own. "I could love you, Kurt. I could love you and I would," he said through tears. "I _will_."

Kurt exhaled through his nose and his head dropped, overwhelmed by Blaine's admission. Blaine leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on Kurt's forehead before wrapping his arms back around the younger boy.

"But we've only known each other a few days," Kurt murmured.

"I know," Blaine replied quietly.

"And you're still leaving tomorrow."

Blaine nodded, "I know."

Kurt chuckled sadly, "We're kind of a mess, aren't we?"

Through a small laugh of his own, Blaine nodded again in agreement. "Yeah we are."

Both boys pulled back to look at each other. Blaine's eyes darted down to Kurt's mouth and the younger boy quickly ran his tongue over his bottom lip.

Slowly, Blaine leaned forward and pressed his lips to Kurt's. They both tasted salt and toothpaste before tilting their heads for a better angle.

Though they could have stayed like that for days, Kurt eventually pulled back and opened his eyes. Blaine let out a little whine in protest before looking up at Kurt. "We need to talk, don't we?" Kurt nodded. Blaine motioned over to the bed. "Come sit with me? Please?"

Together they walked the short distance to the bed and sat face-to-face up near the headboard. Their hands met in the middle between their crossed legs, fingers constantly moving, betraying their nervousness in the situation.

"So," Blaine started, "I really, _really_ like you." Kurt blushed as he held Blaine's palm open so he could trace the scars. "And if I'm not mistaken, you like me at least a little bit."

At this, Kurt looked up and rolled his eyes. "That is a gross understatement." He brought Blaine's palm up to his lips and kissed his scars. "But, continue."

Blaine smiled at Kurt's slight bossiness before his the joy in his eyes faded. "However, I'm not sure what your stance is on long distance relationships." Kurt's eyes snapped up from Blaine's hand to his face. "We _are_ in a relationship, right?" Blaine asked, to which Kurt thought for a moment before nodding.

"Yeah. I mean, I think we are. Do _you_ think we are?" Kurt asked Blaine, for further reassurance that these feelings weren't something he made up in his head. Blaine nodded quickly, though didn't say anything. "Are we… boyfriends?" The last word of Kurt's question was quiet as if he were uncertain of what Blaine would say.

Blaine's breathing got heavy as he bit his lip. "I hope so," he said softly. "At least, I'd like us to be." He looked at Kurt with hopeful eyes. "Is that okay? Like, would that be okay with you?"

Kurt nodded and offered Blaine a small smile.

"I'm just worried, though, about being so far apart," Blaine said. "I mean, it's not like New York City and Pittsburgh are on opposite ends of the earth. But, we don't know each other's schedules, or the next time we'll see each other. I just -," he sighed heavily, "I just don't want either of us getting hurt or hating the other one for not being there, you know?"

Kurt looked down at their joined hands and selfishly wished they didn't have any obstacles in their way. "I know."

Blaine looked over at the clock on the nightstand and saw it was nearing midnight. "Do you want to sleep on it? Talk about it more after your math class tomorrow?"

Suddenly Kurt remembered what his teacher said earlier, "Oh! Class got cancelled. The only class I have tomorrow is acting with your brother… and you, I guess."

With a smile, Blaine bit the inside of his cheek. "God, I hope that goes well."

"It'll be fine," Kurt said before leaning over to give Blaine a quick peck on the lips. "But focus, Blaine. I don't have math, which means we pretty much have the whole day tomorrow."

A grin spread across the youngest Anderson's face. "Okay. So, we'll get some sleep, make breakfast together and talk about this some more before we head to Coop's class?"

Kurt nodded, grateful for a little more time to think it over. He wanted to be with Blaine so badly, but Blaine was right in pointing out the issue of distance. It wasn't fair to either of them to be apart and expect that to be fine and problem-free. They were going to have to work hard if they wanted to make their relationship last more than just these past few days.

"Um, are you okay sharing the bed?" Blaine asked, changing the subject. "If not, I can go sleep out on the couch."

"Blaine," Kurt said softly, putting a hand on the other boy's knee. "What side is yours?"

A bashful smile appeared as Blaine slid over toward the wall where his Wolverine stuffed animal was situated. "Um, I always sleep next to a wall, depending on whatever side that is where I'm staying. Is that, uh, is that okay with you?"

"If I wasn't so tired right now, I'd ask you to explain that. But for now, I will gladly take whatever side you don't want. I'm just happy to be with you," Kurt finished quietly.

Blaine flashed Kurt a grateful look before they wiggled underneath the covers. They situated themselves on their sides so they could face each other.

"You know, since I'm way over here by the wall, you're going to have to turn off the light," Blaine pointed out very matter-of-factly before letting out a yawn.

Kurt smiled, thinking that in that moment, Blaine was more adorable than any baby animal he had ever seen in his entire life. "I know and I will. But I wanted to look at you before I make it dark. I have to know that this is real and that you won't disappear when I turn off the light."

Under the covers, Blaine's leg found Kurt's and he twined their ankles together. "That better?"

The younger boy leaned over and kissed Blaine softly. "Much." He turned around and got ready to switch the light off. "You ready?"

Blaine nodded as he nestled down into his pillow and pulled the covers up more snugly around his shoulders. "Mmm hmm."

Kurt twisted the knob near the light bulb, causing the entire room to instantly turn black. He then burrowed underneath the blankets and inhaled deeply, basking in the scent that was entirely Blaine's.

"Good night, Kurt," Blaine said softly in the dark.

"Good night… Devon," Kurt managed to get out before launching into a round of giggles.

A groan sounded from Blaine's half of the bed as he jiggled their linked ankles. "Kuuuuuuuuurt."

As his laughter died down, Kurt apologized half-heartedly. "I'm sorry, I had to. Add that to the list of stuff we need to talk about tomorrow morning." Kurt smiled to himself, knowing the other boy couldn't see him. "Good night, Blaine."

"Night, Kurt."

Within minutes, both boys fell asleep.


	10. Friday - Part I

A/N: Here's the first part of Friday. Due to a full week of work ahead of me, I'll try to get up the rest when I can, but I can't promise an update everyday like these past few chapters. Everything is outlined though, so an end is in sight. Reviews are welcome. And, as always, thank you so much for reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.

* * *

FRIDAY - PART I

Throughout the night, Blaine and Kurt moved closer and closer to each other in their sleep so that by time it was morning, their legs were completely tangled and arms were draped over each other. Blaine's face was buried in the front of Kurt's t-shirt, while Kurt's chin was nestled in Blaine's hair.

No alarm had been set, but Kurt woke up first around 7:30 because that's what time he was used to getting ready for his day. For a brief moment, he wondered where he was and why there was someone else in bed with him before he remembered that he was at his teacher's apartment in the arms of the boy he was falling for. A week ago, if somebody had told Kurt Hummel he was going to find someone he could potentially spend forever with, he would have laughed in his or her face. But now, only days after meeting Blaine, he felt safety and contentment in this other man's arms and it pained him to think that tonight that would be taken away from him.

Kurt kissed the top of Blaine's head, causing the pianist to shift around and snuggle further into his chest. Blaine fisted the back of Kurt's t-shirt, clinging onto him as he continued to sleep. Kurt always dreamed that the first night he spent with someone he loved would be full of silk pajamas, candles and soft music and not old t-shirts and a Wolverine stuffed animal sticking out from under a pillow, yet somehow it just felt right. He realized he didn't need the clichés. He didn't _want _the clichés. He just wanted Blaine and he was grateful to have him there, even if it was only going to be for another few hours.

As much as he wished they could stay in bed forever and snuggle, Kurt knew they had to get on with their day. They still needed to talk, both of them had to be at Cooper's acting class, and Kurt remembered that Blaine promised the kids at the shelter that they would try and make it back today. Throw in the fact that Blaine wasn't completely packed yet and had to make it to the airport around 6:00pm for an 8:00pm flight, they had a busy day ahead of themselves.

"Blaine," Kurt whispered softly into the hair of the other boy before kissing him again. "Blaine, we need to get up."

"Mmmmm," Blaine murmured. "Wanna stay here. You. Warm. Snuggles." Without opening his eyes, Blaine burrowed himself closer to Kurt.

Though Blaine's insistence to stay where they were was adorable, Kurt knew he had to force them to move. Slowly, he unwrapped his arms from Blaine and untangled their legs.

"Nooooooooo," Blaine protested as Kurt lifted the covers and scooted out of the bed. "Kuuuuuuuuurt."

"Blaaaaaaaaaaine," Kurt teased back, stretching his arms over his head.

Blaine finally opened an eye to stare up at Kurt. A smile spread across his face when he saw how rumpled Kurt looked in his pajamas as opposed to how pulled together he always appeared to be during the day. "Hi," Blaine said shyly as he slowly sat up, blankets pooled around his waist.

"Hi," Kurt replied, walking over to the edge of the bed. He reached out and ran a hand through Blaine's hair, which was sticking out every which way it possibly could. Blaine reached his own hand up to Kurt's and pulled it down so he could kiss Kurt's palm. Kurt blushed at the intimate gesture and smiled bashfully at Blaine. "Do you want to take a shower first?"

"No, you can go. Maybe I can get some more sleep while you –"

"Blaine!" Kurt pulled his hand out of Blaine's and shoved the older boy over onto their pile of pillows.

Through giggles, Blaine managed to sputter out, "Just kidding! Just kidding!" He scrambled to sit back up as Kurt looked down on him with a judgmental face. "I'll pack, okay?"

Kurt raised his eyebrows, "Mmm hmm." He walked over and grabbed his overnight bag. "Um, you said your brother had an extra towel I could borrow?"

"Oh yeah," Blaine said as he threw the blankets off himself and reluctantly climbed out of bed. "Ummmmm… top shelf of the linen closet in the hallway. They're blue." He wiggled his toes against the floor, causing them to pop. "Do you want me to get one for you?"

Shaking his head, Kurt said quickly, "No, I'll find them, thanks. Umm…" He stood there looking at Blaine and Blaine stared at him in return.

Blaine sighed, "I, uh, I really want to kiss you right now, but I didn't know if I should ask or if I should just go for it." He walked slowly over toward the younger boy. "I don't know what I'm doing, Kurt," he said softly, almost embarrassed at his own admission.

"Neither do I," Kurt whispered as he leaned in and gently pressed his lips to Blaine's. But, just as quickly as he moved forward, Kurt pulled back and clapped a hand over his mouth before Blaine had a chance to kiss back. "Oh my god, I didn't even brush my teeth yet!"

Blaine reached up and curled his fingers around those covering Kurt's mouth. Without breaking eye contact, he lowered their hands slowly. He brought his mouth to Kurt's and whispered, "I don't care" against his lips. Instantly, they moved together, eyes closing and lips slotting together perfectly like puzzle pieces. Kurt dropped his bag and hands began roaming up and across backs. Forgetting to breathe, both boys eventually had to separate when their lungs begged for relief.

Blushing as he caught his breath, Kurt was insistent. "We have to shower." Blaine's eyebrows instantly slid up. "_Separately_," Kurt added, though Blaine knew they weren't ready for that quite yet. "And then we need to talk."

Nodding in agreement, Blaine picked Kurt's bag off the floor and handed it to the other boy as proof he was on board with Kurt's plan.

Kurt walked quietly down the hallway, grabbing a towel out of the linen closet along the way. Knowing he had some time to himself, Blaine looked around his room, sizing up the packing task in front of him. Really all he needed for the day was a decent looking outfit that would be appropriate for Cooper's class as well as comfortable enough to wear on the airplane that night. He pulled out his favorite pair of jeans, a cranberry cardigan, white Henley and some shoes he could just slip on without having to wear socks. That way at the airport, he'd only have to take off his belt, slide off his shoes and put his wallet in the basket by the conveyor belt.

Packing what he could and leaving his outfit for the day on his bed, Blaine wandered into the kitchen to start brewing a pot of coffee. He and Cooper usually drank a couple cups apiece in the morning, and he knew Kurt like it as well, so he dug out the 10-cup coffee maker out from one of the kitchen cabinets. After getting everything set up, he leaned against the counter and waited. He knew how he wanted to proceed with his relationship with Kurt, but this was something they had to decide upon together.

The coffee was nearly done by time Kurt came out of the bathroom. He was dressed in dark jeans that looked like they were painted on his body and a light blue button up shirt that matched his eyes. He had tied an olive green checked scarf around his neck and had done his hair up and off his face. Blaine's jaw dropped slightly as Kurt walked toward him in the kitchen.

"You look amazing," Blaine said as he ran a finger delicately along the ends of Kurt's scarf. "But I still think you looked best in your pajamas."

"Thank you," Kurt said with an embarrassed smile as he put a hand up to Blaine's chest. "And while you look handsome even in that t-shirt, I don't think your brother would be entirely pleased if you showed up to speak to his class in such finery," he joked.

With a heavy sigh, Blaine acquiesced. "I'm going, I'm going." He shuffled toward the hallway before turning around and pointing to a cupboard. "Coffee's almost done. There's mugs in that cabinet and milk and stuff in the fridge. I'll be out soon and then I'll make you breakfast, okay?"

Kurt nodded and smiled as watched Blaine walk down the hallway toward his room to get his towel and clothes. He then turned his attention toward the coffee maker and saw it was over halfway filled up. Going to the cabinet Blaine pointed to, Kurt grabbed three mugs, hoping they were okay for himself, Blaine and Cooper. He didn't know if they had specific mugs they used and smiled to himself that maybe this was something he would soon find out about the Anderson brothers. Kurt found himself wanting to know everything about Blaine and figured that was another pro in the mental list he made when thinking about how he wanted their relationship to go forward from there.

While digging around in the fridge for milk and cream, Kurt heard someone walk into the kitchen. Thinking it was Blaine, Kurt turned around and started, "Well that was quick. You want some mil-." He stopped himself and stood a little straighter. "Oh, hi C-… Mr. Anderson?" Kurt winced, not quite knowing how he should refer to the oldest Anderson.

Cooper chuckled and grabbed one of the empty mugs off the counter. "Morning, Kurt." He looked at the younger boy and sized him up. "I'm pretty sure that since you're sleeping with my brother you can call me Cooper."

Kurt's eyebrows shot up toward his hairline as he sputtered quickly, "We didn't – I mean, we slept in the same bed, but we didn't…"

Laughing, Cooper guided Kurt away from the refrigerator and shut the door. He took the milk and cream cartons out of Kurt's hands and set them on the counter. "Man, you're even easier to mess with than Blaine." He put a reassuring hand on Kurt's shoulder. "When you're here, with us, I'm just Blaine's big brother. You only have to 'Mr. Anderson' me when we're in class, okay? But, don't think you're getting any special privileges just because you're schtupping B." When Kurt didn't react as horrified as he did before, Cooper smiled. "See? You're already catching on. Welcome to the family, kid." He clapped Kurt on the shoulder before pouring two mugs of coffee and offering one to Kurt.

"Thanks," Kurt said slowly as he took the proffered mug.

Cooper leaned against the counter the same way Blaine was when Kurt first walked in. It was strange but it also wasn't how similar the Anderson brothers were and Kurt kicked himself for not realizing it sooner, thinking how that would have saved him and Blaine from all that extra stress the day before.

After taking a sip of coffee, Cooper looked over at Kurt and asked, "So, I know this isn't really any of my business, but did you two get a chance to talk last night?"

At first Kurt didn't know how to answer, but he decided it was best to be completely honest with the older Anderson in case he had any sort of insight into the situation. He nodded before saying, "A little bit. We," he sighed, "we know that distance if going to be an issue, so we decided to sleep on it and talk more this morning." Cooper nodded in understanding and took another sip of his drink. "It's just that this has all happened so fast and…"

"And you're worried that feelings this strong shouldn't seem so easy so soon?" Cooper offered for him. Kurt put down his cup and looked down at the floor, fiddling with his scarf. He nodded in agreement. "Kurt, look at me." The younger boy reluctantly did as he was told, cheeks red with embarrassment for seeming so transparent. "I don't want to see either of you get hurt, but I also don't want you guys to miss out on something special because you're scared that it's 'too soon.' There's no timeline for feelings, okay?" Kurt nodded again, afraid that if he tried to talk, he would get emotional.

"Is this more to your liking, K –." Blaine called out as he entered the kitchen, thinking he and Kurt were going to be alone. "Oh hey, Coop," he said once he saw his brother. Blaine glanced from Cooper to Kurt and back to Cooper after seeing that Kurt looked a bit distraught. "What did you say to him?" Blaine asked his brother in a slightly accusatory tone.

"Nothing that I haven't said to you," Cooper said as he put his mug in the sink. "You guys finish talking, okay? I'll see you at class later." Walked toward Blaine and reached out to pat his brother on the back as he passed. "Follow your heart, B," Cooper muttered softly as he kept walking past Blaine back toward his bedroom to gather his stuff for his morning class.

Blaine walked over to Kurt and put a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"

Kurt looked up at Blaine and gave him a watery smile. "I will be."

They stood together in silence, hands finding each other's and fingers twining together.

"I want to do this," Blaine suddenly blurted out. "Us."

Kurt chuckled through his nose at Blaine's sudden outburst; grateful he wasn't the only one who wanted them to work out. "I do too," he admitted softly. He brought a hand up and grasped the lapel of Blaine's cardigan. "Part of me still thinks that this is all happening too fast, but as scared as I am to be with you after only a few days, I can't imagine us being apart."

Blaine's chest heaved under Kurt's touch, heart daring to beat out of his chest. He was so overwhelmed, feeling equal parts elated and terrified, but he was comforted knowing Kurt felt the exact same way. They were in this together and that's how they would figure things out.

"New York's not that far, really," Blaine said softly, as he wrapped his arms around Kurt's back. "So we can make plans to visit each other. And there's always cell phones and Skype and email and letters…" He leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to Kurt's lips.

"Oh, you gonna write me letters?" Kurt murmured, turning his head to whisper in Blaine's ear before planting a soft kiss under his earlobe.

"Mmm hmm." Blaine craned his neck, allowing Kurt better access. "So many letters."

"Oh my god you two, go back into the guest room if that's where this is headed," Cooper yelled as he walked past the kitchen on his way to the front door. "I stand over that counter and eat food, sad and alone. Stop rubbing your adorable express relationship in my face or Kurt's going to fail acting class."

The kissing stopped, but Blaine and Kurt remained in each other's arms as the oldest Anderson opened the front door. "Love you too, Coop," Blaine called out before the door shut. He and Kurt smiled at each other and then started laughing when both their stomachs started to rumble. "Breakfast?" Blaine asked.

Kurt nodded. "Please."

…

Working together, Blaine and Kurt whipped up scrambled eggs, bagels and a fruit salad to share with their coffee. They put everything on trays and carried it out to the living room along with a few plates, napkins and forks. Trays were placed on the coffee table as both boys sank down on the couch next to each other and started to eat.

Blaine watched as Kurt grabbed a bagel and split it open, immediately putting the lid back on his plate, as if he had done that a million times. "I want to know everything about you," Blaine sighed before he shoved a forkful of eggs into his mouth. "Like," he started before completely swallowing, "like why you eat the bottom of your bagel first."

Kurt chuckled, "Well that's easy. The top is obviously the best part. Save the best for last, you know?" Kurt took a bite out of his bagel before staring Blaine down. "What about you, huh? _Devon_."

Taking a sip of coffee to wash down his eggs, Blaine set his plate down and turned on the couch to completely face Kurt. "I am so, so sorry I didn't tell you about that earlier. Seriously, if there was one thing I could take back about this week, it would have been that I told you that very first night who I really was."

"Why didn't you?" Kurt asked. He wasn't mad anymore, but he still wanted to know the truth.

Blaine ducked his head, embarrassed for his reasons. "Because you seemed so disgusted that you were stuck going to that concert on Thursday when I asked if you were free that night. I, uh, I was actually going to invite you to see me play before I knew you were in Coop's class and he was forcing you to go."

Kurt put down his plate and slid one of his hands in Blaine's. "I was only pissed off about going because I wanted to spend time with you… I would have been just as upset if I had tickets to a Broadway show. And I _love_ Broadway shows."

"I didn't _know_ that," Blaine grumbled.

"I know," Kurt said. "Look, we both did some dumb things this week. Like, me thinking that you were fooling around with my acting teacher…"

"Yeah," Blaine started. "What was up with that?"

"Well, if I would have known that you were _you_, I would have known that the two handsiest people I've even seen were _brothers_," Kurt pointed out. "Seriously, Blaine. You and Cooper were practically all over each other. What was I supposed to think?"

Blaine slumped down against the back of the couch. Kurt was right – if Blaine had told him who he was to begin with, Kurt never would have mistaken he and his brother for two people in a relationship. "Man, everything was my fault this week."

"Blaine," Kurt said softly as he rubbed his thumb over Blaine's knuckles. "What's done is done. How about we just work on being honest with each other from now on, okay?"

The pianist nodded. "I'm still sorry, though."

"I know," Kurt murmured as he ran his free hand through Blaine's hair. "Can I ask you something else?"

"Anything."

"Why do you have to sleep near the wall?"

Blaine chuckled and instantly the mood in the room was lifted. As they tucked back into their breakfast, Blaine explained that when he was little, Cooper made him watch _ET: Extra Terrestrial _and it gave him nightmares. Ever since, he had to sleep facing a wall with his rationale being that if ET came into the room while he slept, Blaine wouldn't be able to see him because he was facing the wall. Though he was able to laugh about his ridiculously inaccurate logic with Kurt, Blaine still slept best if he was facing a wall and always had trouble sleeping if a bed was not in the corner of a room.

During the rest of breakfast, the boys took turns asking each other silly questions so they could find out the more random aspects of each other's lives. Kurt admitted to watching reality television while Blaine confided that he still knew the words and choreography to all the _High School Musical _movies. They chatted for a solid hour, finding themselves falling harder as the other boy revealed more and more about himself.

Soon their plates were empty and it was nearing time for them to get ready to head off to campus. Their plan was to pick up some more coffee before Kurt's acting class and bring Cooper some as a "Thank You" for being so supportive (albeit an epic pain in the ass) about their relationship.

In the kitchen, Blaine washed their dishes while Kurt dried them. Neither said anything, but each boy relished in the pleasant domesticity of it all. With a shared smile, as Blaine handed Kurt the last mug to dry, they knew that they made the right choice to keep going with this relationship. It may have been new, but it was already so precious to them.

Hand in hand they left the apartment, ready to face the rest of the day together but knowing they were that much closer to Blaine getting on an airplane and flying back to New York City.


	11. Friday - Part II

A/N: I bet some of you thought I jumped ship. (I didn't!) But, Friday might now have one or two more parts because this part didn't get as far as I originally anticipated. We shall see. I'm also toying with the idea of an epilogue... As always, thank you so much for reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee (or the Elton John song used in this chapter).

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FRIDAY - PART II

While standing in line at the coffee shop, Kurt looked around at the other patrons. He immediately felt something was off until he realized that they were back at the scene of their epic miscommunication from the day before.

"Blaine," Kurt whispered to the boy standing next to him who himself was busy eyeballing rows of fresh pastries.

Never taking his gaze off the muffins, Blaine raised his eyebrows. "Hmm?" he asked, blindly sliding a hand into Kurt's and giving it a loving squeeze.

Kurt looked around again, feeling like people were staring at them even though they weren't. "Blaine, can we get our coffee to go? Maybe head over to the drama building early or something?"

Sensing Kurt was uncomfortable, Blaine turned to look Kurt in the eye. He could tell something was wrong, but didn't know what. "Of course."

When it was time to place their order, Blaine requested drinks for himself, Kurt and Cooper and then asked for chocolate chip, banana nut and cranberry muffins all to go. He never once let go of Kurt's hand, even though that meant he had to dig his credit card out of his wallet by placing it on the counter and jiggling the card out of its slot.

Kurt grabbed the bag of muffins, Blaine took the tray of coffees and hand-in-hand they left the coffee shop. Blaine looked over at Kurt, wanting to know why Kurt didn't want to stay but not knowing if he should ask. They walked a little more before Blaine realized that he should ask Kurt because they were boyfriends and a boyfriend would ask to see if he could help in any way.

"Kurt," Blaine said softly as they kept walking toward the drama building. "Kurt, are you all right?"

The younger boy looked down at their joined hands. "We fought in there yesterday," he said sadly. "Or rather, I _yelled_ at you in there and then stormed out. I couldn't be in there today. I just want to be with you," he finished quietly.

Blaine brought their hands up to his lips so he could kiss the back of Kurt's hand. The rest of their walk was silent.

By time they got to the auditorium, there was still about an hour before class started. They sat down on the stage near the piano where Kurt opened the bag of muffins and Blaine handed the other boy his coffee. He then started to giggle, causing Kurt to look over him with raised eyebrows.

"Coop's coffee is going to be so cold and gross by time he gets here," Blaine said through chuckles. "Oh well, it's the thought that counts, right?"

"You two are really close, aren't you?" Kurt asked, hoping to find out even more about the boy he was completely smitten with.

Blaine nodded as he swallowed a sip of coffee. "We are now. I mean, it's not like we didn't get along when I was little – I know he loved me and I worshipped him – but he was away at college for a lot of the rough years, ya know? I never blamed him for not being there, but I know he felt bad." Blaine turned his to-go cup in his hand. "He called me everyday when I was in the hospital and sent me youtube clips he thought would make me laugh." He chuckled at the memories. "He's the best big brother, though. Like, he picks on me, obviously, but I know it's out of love." They both took sips of their drinks. "What about you? You have a stepbrother, right?"

It was Kurt's turn to nod. "Yep, Finn. My dad married his mom when we were both juniors. We're just about as different as it gets, but I love him."

"That's cool," Blaine commented. He then thought about what Kurt said and wondered if he had more family. "Um, what about your mom? Did she remarry too?"

Blaine instantly felt guilty for asking when he saw Kurt's shoulders slump a bit. "My mom died when I was eight. Um, she had cancer. Breast cancer. And Finn's dad, he died when Finn was barely two."

Setting down his coffee cup, Blaine scooted over next to Kurt and wrapped his hands around the other boy's. "Kurt, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Kurt gave Blaine a half smile. "I know. And it's okay, really. I loved my mom and I still love her. But I love Carole too. Carole's my step-mom," Kurt clarified. "If I can't have my real mom, she is honestly the next best thing. And she's going to _love_ you." Kurt's cheeks instantly flushed. "Oh my god, that was too fast, wasn't it?"

Blaine laughed. "Kurt," he choked out between guffaws. "Kurt, we've been moving too fast all week." He reached over to cup Kurt's cheek in his hand before leaning over and placing a chaste kiss on his lips. "I'm ready to accept that that's just how we are with some things." Kurt scrunched his nose and looked at the stage floor. "And I'm sure I'm going to love Carole. _And_ you're dad. And my parents are going to love you," he stated matter-of-factly as Kurt looked up with him in awe. "I know Coop already does." He shrugged. "Let's face it, we're kind of adorable."

Kurt playfully shoved Blaine. "You are so full of yourself, _Devon_."

Blaine grinned, "Oh, it is on, Hummel." Blaine put one hand on either side of Kurt's folded legs and leaned in toward Kurt's face. Though there was a look of confrontation in Blaine's eyes, Kurt could tell that it was entirely in jest. Kurt quickly closed the gap between their mouths and they each pressed into each other, playfully battling for dominance over the other's lips.

Both boys were smiling like giddy school children by time they pulled apart. Blaine settled back into a seated position and grabbed the chocolate chip muffin. He broke the top off and set it aside, then tore the bottom part in two before handing Kurt half.

Kurt giggled, "That is exactly how I eat my muffins too. Save –"

"-the top for last," Blaine finished, talking through a mouthful of muffin. He shook his head, "I'm so glad I met you, Kurt. And that is a horrific understatement, but… I'm just so happy right now."

"I am too."

They ate their muffin in a comfortable silence. Blaine then split the top part in half and gave a piece to Kurt. The younger boy smiled and thanked Blaine, unbelievably full of joy in the moment.

Blaine finished eating before Kurt did, so he hopped up onto his feet before eventually sitting down on the piano bench. While Kurt chewed his last couple bites of muffin, Blaine began playing some scales on the piano as a warm up before moving onto a few measures each of several different classical pieces. Kurt wiped his hands on a napkin before standing up and moving behind Blaine. He draped his arms around Blaine's shoulders and crossed them over his chest as he leaned in and whispered, "My, you're good at this." He kissed Blaine on the top of his head. "Maybe you should think about a career in professional piano playing."

Chuckling, Blaine launched into a spirited rendition of chopsticks, causing Kurt to laugh. He finished with a flourish and Kurt applauded, cheering for the great Devon Anderson. "Bravo, good sir. Bravo."

Blaine gave a half bow from his seated position on the piano bench before asking Kurt to sit with him. "Please?"

Kurt was happy to oblige as he settled down onto the bench and wiggled closer to Blaine. He was surprised how quick he was to have so much physical contact with the older boy. This was just all so new for him, but somehow each touch and every kiss felt so right.

Blaine continued messing around on the piano, tapping out fractured bits of classical music mixed in with some jazz. He played quietly for a few moments, knowing Kurt was watching his fingers move across the keys. Playing the piano was something he did for other people, but it was still a very private thing for him to do by and for himself. It was a way to get tension out, or work through his feelings. It could be calming or loud – all it took was varying pressure on the ivories or a key change to reflect what was going on inside his head or his heart.

His hands stilled, the last notes sustaining themselves in the quiet of the auditorium for as long as they could. "Can I play for you? Like, sing something for you - I mean, to you? " Blaine's voice was soft when he asked, afraid his question would come out of his mouth as loud as his heart felt like it was beating in his chest.

Kurt's cheeks warmed as he tried to suppress a huge grin at Blaine's adorable rambling. He could tell Blaine was a little nervous for asking, even though there was no need to worry. Kurt was extremely curious, having never heard Blaine sing before. "Please. I would really like that."

It was Blaine's turn to blush as his fingers started moving across the keys again. "Okay, so this is probably going to be really cheesy, but I thought it would be easier to get out what I wanted to say in a song instead of me just rambling..." He paused to chuckle at himself, "Which I guess is what I'm totally doing right now, but…" Blaine turned to look Kurt in the eye, "but this is for you. I wish I could write you something like this, but just know that I really do mean every word."

Blaine tapped out the introduction to Elton John's "Your Song" and Kurt's heart started racing, knowing exactly what words he was about to hear. However, his heart just about stopped when Blaine started to sing. The pianist's voice started softly, but Kurt knew it was the most beautiful sound he ever heard after the first couple words were uttered. The lyrics dripped from his lips like honey and it took a lot of willpower for Kurt not to lean over and suck on the source.

Kurt listened to Blaine sing, enchanted to his core. This was probably the most romantic moment in his young life and he was scared that if he moved, he would wake up from this perfect dream.

_So excuse me forgetting but these things I do_

_You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue_

_Anyway the thing is what I really mean_

_Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen_

At those words, Blaine locked eyes with Kurt, face beet red but hazel eyes determined and sincere. His eyebrows moved as he sang, leading Kurt to know that these weren't just lyrics to a song, but an honest and earnest admission from one boy to another.

Blaine finished the song a little shaky, though proud of himself for sharing what he was feeling with Kurt and hoping he wasn't making a complete fool of himself.

_And you can tell everybody this is your song_

_It may be quite simple but now that it's done_

_I hope you don't mind_

_I hope you don't mind that I put down in words_

_How wonderful life is while you're in the world_

Instead of playing the final little piano part, Blaine's fingers just stopped moving. His eyes were glassy and his voice was just on the verge of breaking. He shifted on the bench and turned his body toward Kurt, taking the younger boy's hands in his own.

"Blaine," Kurt said softly. "That was… that was…" He was almost at a loss for words because his heart was so full. He was overwhelmed with feelings for Blaine as well as knowing this other boy legitimately cared for him.

"Too much?" Blaine supplied his own words for Kurt, terrified that he took it too far with the song. He genuinely was falling for Kurt, but knew that as fast as their relationship was progressing, it was still far too early to use the "L" word with regard to each other. But, he was forever grateful that Kurt was in his life now and hoped that he would be for as long as humanly possible. He knew that was a lot to hope, especially since they only knew each other a few days, but he had never felt this way before.

Kurt smiled and leaned forward, kissing Blaine gently on the cheek. "That was perfect," he whispered into the pianist's ear. "Thank you."

A crooked smile quickly sprouted across Blaine's face, pleased that Kurt was happy with his song.

The older boy swung his legs around the piano bench and tugged on Kurt's hand, to get him to stand up also. They walked the short distance back to where their coffees and muffins were sitting on the stage floor and sat back down. This time, Kurt grabbed the banana nut muffin and split it exactly how Blaine did earlier, wordlessly handing Blaine half of the bottom part.

"So, what are you going to talk about in class, Mr. Anderson?" Kurt asked through a bite of muffin.

Blaine shrugged as he chewed. He swallowed before responding, "I really don't know. I mean, I guess I'll introduce myself and give a little history about my background and stuff, but I really don't know why Coop wanted me to talk to a bunch of actors." He added quickly, "No offense."

Kurt shook his head. "None taken." He put the rest of his muffin bottom in his mouth and cocked his head while he chewed, wheels obviously turning as he swallowed. "I think I get it now, though. Now that I know you." Blaine looked at him, confused. "Like, on Monday, after your brother gave me the ticket to your concert I kind of asked him the same thing. But getting to know you and seeing you on stage last night - you're a performer. You just use notes to tell your story instead of words." Kurt shrugged as if it were the most obvious answer to give.

"Huh." Blaine thought about what Kurt said and realized he was right.

"Can I… ask you something?" Kurt was hesitant even before he asked what he really wanted to know. Blaine looked over at Kurt and nodded. "How are you going to introduce yourself to the class?"

Blaine's eyebrows furrowed as if the answer was already obvious. "As Devon Anderson. Why?" He saw Kurt's shoulders slump a little, which made him instantly put a hand on the other boy's leg for reassurance, even though he didn't know why Kurt looked momentarily distraught. "Kurt, why?"

Kurt shook his head, "I guess I just still don't get why you told me your name was Blaine. I mean, I know it's not, but I can't bring myself to call you Devon…"

"Kurt, hey, no." Blaine felt bad. He still felt awful for not telling Kurt who he really was from the start, but it hurt seeing Kurt confused over something that was obviously his fault. "Kurt, my family and friends all call me Blaine. It's what I feel most comfortable being called. I mean, I know my name is Devon and that's what I go by professionally, but the truth is… that name is not me." He realized he wasn't making any sense when Kurt still had a puzzled look on his face. "Oh, god, I'm not explaining myself very well." He sighed before starting again. "I've gone by Blaine since I was a little kid. Devon was a family name and that's how I got stuck with that, but Blaine is what I always went by, at least until I hit high school. As soon as my piano playing took off toward a career, my manager told me to go by Devon for branding purposes. I hate that I sound like a product, but that's what I am to my label. But my parents still call me Blaine and you know Coop does. I… I told you my name was Blaine when we first met because I instantly felt comfortable around you. I can't explain it, but it was already like you were f- ," he stopped himself before quietly finishing his thought, "Family." He dared himself to look up from the floor and into Kurt's eyes. "I'm sorry I lied to you."

Blinking through tears that he willed not to fall, Kurt said sadly, "We still don't know that much about each other, do we?"

That question broke Blaine's heart, but somehow still empowered him to have faith in them instead of taking the easy way out. "No, we don't," he admitted. "But we have as long as we want to figure that out, if that's something you still want."

Kurt nodded and the two boys joined hands, waves of reassurance settling over them with that small amount of physical contact.

"Ugh. What did I tell you two about flaunting your disgustingly cute speed dating in my face?" Blaine and Kurt looked up to see Cooper walking toward them. The oldest Anderson knew he was butting in on something private, but his class was going to start in a few minutes and he wanted to give them some time to collect themselves before the other students arrived.

"Shut up, Coop," Blaine said, tossing the cranberry muffin at his brother.

"Thanks, little brother," Cooper said as he caught the muffin and held it up like a prize. He ripped off the top and promptly shoved half of it in his mouth. Both the younger boys scrunched their noses at him at his barbaric and improper way to eat a muffin. "You ready?"

Blaine looked over at Kurt and nodded, "Yeah."

Cooper looked at the two boys and saw their hands were still together. "So," he said motioning between the two of them with the hand that was holding the other part of his muffin's top. "What's the verdict on this?"

"_This_," Blaine answered his brother, "is officially go for launch." He looked over at Kurt and smiled, earning one in return from his boyfriend. "We're going to make this work, distance be damned."

"Good," Cooper replied. "That's the correct answer." He grinned like an idiot as he popped the other half of the muffin top in his mouth.

Kurt looked up at his teacher and squinted his eyes. "Why are you so happy and smug about all this?"

Cooper shrugged. "You guys are just so friggin' adorable and you're both easy as hell to tease. God, I am going to have a field day because I have dirt on both of you." Kurt raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, you too, Hummel. Don't think I forgot what you said when the class had to share their most embarrassing stories." Kurt's eyebrows shot up as Blaine looked over at Kurt, instantly wanting to know what his brother was talking about. "Oh don't worry, Kurt. B here has got some real doozies from when he was in his grade school's production of Schoolhouse Rock."

Blaine's mouth dropped open as he whipped his head back toward his brother. "You wouldn't!"

"Oh, I would," Cooper threatened as he waggled his eyebrows. He then turned to Kurt and stage whispered, "See me after class next week, Kurt. You'll _piss yourself_." Blaine's mouth instantly shut and his face turned bright red. "Oops, did I say 'piss yourself'? I could also have said 'trip over an untied shoelace and knock over the little girl standing in front of you on stage'." Blaine squeezed tighter to Kurt's hand. "See, Kurt, Blainers here was a bit of a mess. But you'll find that out soon enough."

"Cooper!" Blaine nearly shouted at his brother, wholly embarrassed.

"Sorry, B," Cooper said without the slightest hint of remorse. "I just love it so much when you blush. I think Kurt does too." He winked at his little brother, taking complete joy out of seeing him squirm.

"Yeah, and you're going to love it when your acting class finds out about your _Transformers 4_ audition tape," Blaine muttered under his breath so only Kurt could hear. A burst of laughter escaped from Kurt's mouth, causing Cooper to lean in to try and hear what his brother said, but he was too late.

"What was that, B?" Cooper asked, thinking that he missed something important.

Blaine took a deep breath and looked up at his brother, "Oh nothing, Coop. Just apologizing to Kurt that I wasn't an only child." He gave Cooper a forced smile, determined not to let his brother get the best of him because he had his own stories to use as blackmail.

Kurt leaned over and whispered in his boyfriend's ear, "You'll need to show me that tape." He pulled back and both boys smiled and gazed adoringly into each other's eyes. For a fraction of a second, they forget that Cooper was standing over them, watching them.

"I'm fucked, aren't I?" Cooper asked.

The two boys nodded in unison as Cooper's other students slowly began filing into the auditorium's stage door.


	12. Friday - Part III

A/N: There will be a fourth part for Friday. And maybe an epilogue. (I'm still up in the air about an epilogue...) Thank you so much for reading and an extra special *hug* through the Internet for those of you who were kind enough to leave comments :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.

* * *

FRIDAY - PART III

Kurt and Blaine quickly finished the last of their coffees even though they were beyond lukewarm at that point. They got up and threw Cooper's untouched drink as well as their coffee and muffin trash away before grabbing Kurt's satchel and joining the rest of the students near the center of the stage. Blaine wasn't exactly sure what he should do, so he stayed by Kurt's side while everyone else sat down on the floor on the stage near them.

Somewhere in the distance, a bell tolled, signaling that it was ten after one o'clock in the afternoon. There were still a couple students walking into the room, so Cooper was over by the piano, sorting through some papers. Kurt and Blaine sat back and observed everyone else, their pinkies linked together in between them so as not to call complete attention to themselves, yet still allowing them physical contact.

A boy sitting near them who looked hung-over leaned over and muttered, "I can't believe Mr. A didn't just give us the day off. I mean, we went to his brother's concert and the guy isn't even here yet."

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other and Kurt stifled a giggle while Blaine told Kurt's classmate, "Yeah. What an asshole." The hung-over kid nodded in agreement before turning back around. The boyfriends shared a private moment as they chuckled, waiting for class to proceed.

After the last student found a spot on the floor, Blaine watched his brother walk over toward the group. Blaine admired how at ease and at home his brother looked in his teaching position.

"Okay guys. I want to thank you for showing up last night. I know I kind of made it mandatory, but I hope you enjoyed the concert." He waited while the students murmured their mixed responses. Kurt gave Blaine a small smile as the pianist looked around at the other people on stage and tried to gauge how they really felt about his show. "Anybody have any questions before I introduce our guest speaker?" Cooper saw his students avoiding eye contact with him like it was their job. He shrugged. "Okay. So, without further ado, I give you Devon Anderson."

Blaine scrambled to his feet to the tune of only his boyfriend clapping. He looked down at Kurt with his eyebrows raised and Kurt just grimaced and mouthed an apology. The younger boy didn't feel so bad, though, when Blaine flashed him a genuine smile.

The pianist looked around at his brother's students, trying to get a feel for the room. Everyone except for Kurt and Cooper was looking at him like they were confused. "Uh, hi," Blaine addressed the group. "I'm," he quickly looked over at Kurt before continuing, "I'm Devon." He gave the group a little nod, but they just sat there silently, staring at him as if they were trying to figure out if he was telling the truth or not because he certainly didn't look like the person their teacher made them listen to the night before. Blaine shot a _Help Me_ look at his brother, not knowing what he should be doing.

"So guys," Cooper said as he made his way over to his brother. "Devon graduated from Oberlin last year and now he's about to work on his second album. He's been playing piano professionally for a few years and is only a little bit older than most of you. I thought maybe you would have some questions for him about what it's like to be in a performance career right out of undergrad." Cooper looked around at his students. "Come on, anybody?"

Kurt looked around and saw either looks of disinterest or confusion on everyone else's faces. Slowly, he stuck his hand up in the air, causing Blaine to smile.

"Yeah, Kurt?" Cooper said as he called on his brother's boyfriend.

"Um, I was wondering, _Devon_, if you always knew you were going to be a professional pianist?" Kurt blushed as he asked; as this was something he was planning on asking Blaine at some point anyway.

Blaine gave Kurt a grateful smile, glad to have something to talk about instead of just standing in front of everyone like an idiot. "Great question, Kurt." He blushed a little as he said his boyfriend's name. "Um, the simplest answer is No, actually. When I was little, I wanted to be a pirate. Then I'm pretty sure I wanted to be in the X-Men." His sincerity got a laugh out of some of Cooper's students. "In high school I sang with my school's glee club and fell more in love with music, but I didn't grow up thinking 'Man, I want to play piano forever.' I mean, I had been playing the piano in public since grade school and knew I was good at it, but didn't really think about it as a career until high school. Even in college, my major was English and I only minored in Music because I wanted something to fall back on if I decided maybe music wasn't the right path for me. Being a professional classical musician is definitely not for everyone, especially in this day and age. I mean, who wants to listen to someone tap out a bunch of ancient songs on the piano, right?" Blaine chuckled to himself, completely aware of how odd it actually was for him to play the piano for a living.

A mousy looking girl raised her hand and asked without being called on, "Do you even like playing the piano?"

Nodding, Blaine replied. "Honestly? Yeah, I really do." His hands became animated as he talked. "I love music and I love being able to share that love of music with other people. You know, when my brother asked me to come speak with you guys today, I initially thought he was nuts. I asked him why he would want me to do that since I play piano and you guys are acting students. I'll spare you the details, but he basically told me that what I do is acting too." Blaine looked around the room and saw confused faces once again. He took a second and thought to himself how to best explain it. After locking eyes with Kurt, Blaine started walking over toward the piano and the eyes of Cooper's students followed him.

"My boyfriend actually pointed this out to me a little bit ago," he started as he sat down on the piano bench, not even noticing how easily the word _boyfriend_ left his lips. "He told me that I'm a performer the same as you, but instead of using words to tell my story, I use notes." Blaine quickly played several bars of a piece he played the night before at a lively, up-tempo pace with no crescendos of any kind. "So that's part of something I played last night." The students stared at him blankly. "It was kinda happy sounding, right?" He waited until a couple of them nodded at him. "Well, how about this?" Blaine played the exact same measures, but this time, he slowed down a few notes here and there and really hammered out sections of it, making the music sound angry and almost malicious. "Those were the same measures, but a much different mood because of the emphasis I put on different notes. It's like how you can say the same line, but give it different kinds of meaning depending on how you say it. Does that make sense?"

A few more people nodded as a busty blonde near the back put her hand up in the air.

"Did you have a question?"

"Yeah," she said as she smacked her gum. "Did you just say you have a _boyfriend_?"

Kurt's eyebrows raised as Blaine's cheeks flushed. "Oh, yeah, I guess I did." He realized he said wasn't exactly clear. "I mean, I do have a boyfriend and I did say that I had one – have one – uh, yes. Boyfriend. I have a boyfriend." Blaine smiled awkwardly as his face got warmer. Kurt suppressed a giggled as he watched Blaine get flustered. He knew it was wrong to laugh at his boyfriend's expense, but amid the ridiculousness of their week, it really was funny and completely endearing.

The blonde slumped backward, putting her hands on the stage behind her. "The cute ones are always gay."

Blaine looked at his brother for help. Cooper looked around at his students, hoping people would have more relevant things to ask. "Okay, who else has got a question for Devon?"

"How come you don't look like you did last night?" It was the hung-over kid who asked, though a lot of people nodded in agreement, as if they were wondering the same thing.

"Oh, um," Blaine thought for a second about how to answer that in a way that was relevant to his brother's students. "Well, you know how when you're performing in a play or on stage or something and you have to wear a costume because you're playing a part? What you saw last night was me _playing _the part of a professional pianist."

"But you _just said_ you_ were_ a professional pian… piano… pianoist."

Blaine chuckled, "Yes. Yes, I did. And I am. But as you can see, I don't wear a tux all the time," he said as he gestured toward his outfit for that day. "I wear glasses when I'm not performing. And my hair looks like this -" Blaine grabbed handfuls of his curly hair and pulled up, causing it to stick out wildly. "- without all that hair gel. But, when I'm on stage, especially when people paid to see me play, I have to look the part." Blaine did his best to smooth down his hair again, but it was going to do what it wanted. "You guys wouldn't have taken me seriously if I walked out on stage last night looking like this, right?" He waited as everyone shook his or her head. "But, you also would have thought I was a pompous dick if I showed up today in my tux." Everyone chuckled at that, but they nodded, understanding what the pianist was getting at. "Performing is about presenting yourself how you want to be seen, and then acting the part too. You can put on the costume, or wear the fancy tux, but then you have to _be_ that person and make _everyone else_ believe that you _are_ that person, or that character."

"So what you're saying is Devon Anderson is a character?"

The auditorium fell silent.

Blaine didn't see who asked the question, but he thought it was the girl who asked if he had a boyfriend. He looked around at the students and saw their attention was on him, waiting for an answer. The pianist's eyes found Kurt's among those looking at him, but those blue eyes were full of reassurance.

"Yes and no," Blaine started slowly, beginning to answer the question at hand. "I say 'yes' because who you saw on stage is only a part of who I am. The Devon you saw last night was Devon Anderson, professional pianist." He looked around the room. "But most of you don't know me, the me in here," he said putting a hand over his chest. "Playing the piano is a major part of my life and I loved playing for you guys last night." He ghosted his hands over the keys before turning back to the students on the floor. "This allows me to share a part of myself with everyone, but it's definitely not everything that I am." He put his elbows on his knees and leaned forward, placing his chin in his hands. "Like, I love playing video games and traveling with my family when I have free time. I love seeing my boyfriend blush," he said through a grin as he watched Kurt's face turn crimson. "And playing my guitar. But the audience doesn't know that about Devon Anderson when I'm up on stage. The same goes for you guys, right? I mean, let's say you're playing Romeo or Juliet. You might be able to convince the audience that you know a thing or two about star-crossed lovers, but they probably couldn't guess that you can bake really well or know every word to 'We Didn't Start the Fire.'" He looked around and saw some people were confused. "Come on! Billy Joel?" He waited to see if that sparked recognition from the puzzled people. "No? Yikes."

Cooper laughed to himself as he watched Blaine's reaction to the non-reaction of his own students. He looked down at his watch and saw there was only about 10 minutes of class left. "Okay, guys. Since I made you give up part of your Thursday nights, I'm gonna let you out early. Why don't we all thank Devon for coming in today?" He watched Blaine blush as the students gave him a warmer round of applause than he was obviously expecting. "Monday we're starting new scenes, so get ready for some cold readings before I pair you off. This is gonna be worth a third of your semester grade." He was met with a bunch of groans. "I know, I know. Shame on me for making acting majors do acting assignments. See ya Monday!"

A bunch of students stood up and immediately filed out of the stage door. Several hung around, though, and approached Blaine. He sat at the piano bench and was happy to field questions from some of the people who were too embarrassed to ask him things in front of the whole class.

Kurt smiled from the floor as he watched Blaine interact with his classmates. Though he could tell a few of the girls and guys up there were only hovering because they obviously thought Blaine was attractive, he admired how Blaine was animatedly talking to those who had legitimate questions about being in the performing arts.

After standing up and brushing off his pants, Kurt shouldered his bag and then looked over to find his acting teacher now sitting on a chair across the stage. Giving another glance over to Blaine and seeing his attention was still on the students, Kurt walked over toward his boyfriend's brother.

Cooper looked up when he heard someone approaching. He smiled when he saw who it was. "Oh, hey Kurt."

Kurt gave him a small smile, "Hey." The younger boy fiddled with the strap of his satchel. "I feel like I owe you an apology."

"What for?" Cooper wracked his brain, but couldn't think of anything that Kurt had to be sorry for.

"For last night, before the concert," Kurt said softly. "I was really rude to you, and I'm sorry." Kurt sighed, "And I'm also sorry for taking up so much of your brother's time this week. He's leaving tonight and you're probably mad that you haven't gotten to spend a lot of time with him because of me."

"Kurt, hey, no," Cooper set the stack of papers he was looking at on the floor. "First of all, I accept your apology even though you really didn't have to apologize in the first place about last night. It was all just a big misunderstanding and I think we can both agree that it's just easier to blame Blaine for all of that." Kurt gave a small smile at Cooper's comment. "And there is no need to apologize for you spending time with Blaine this week. To be honest, I'm sorry you guys don't have more time with each other." Kurt's eyebrows slid up, not expecting to hear that. Cooper leaned forward and spoke softly even though no one else was within earshot. "Look, I know this week has been kinda weird and fast for everyone, but I have never seen Blaine be more like himself than when I see him with you. I might make fun of you two for being disgustingly adorable, but it's only because I'm really happy for both of you. He's been putting up a good front these past few years, but truth be told, I know he was lonely. His life has not been easy, Kurt. And I would wager yours hasn't been either." Kurt gave a small nod, acknowledging Cooper was right, causing Cooper's heart to drop a little bit. "I shouldn't be the one telling you this, but the other night he told me that you were putting his heart back together. So please don't apologize for spending time with my brother if it's helping to make him whole again, okay?" Kurt was taken aback, but gave a firmer nod than before.

The last of the acting students finally wandered off and Blaine looked up from the piano to see his brother and Kurt talking across the stage. They looked like they were having a serious conversation and that made Blaine curious. He got up and cross the stage, calling out before he neared them so as not to scare either man. "Hey! Everything okay over here?"

Kurt turned around and smiled at the sound and sight of his boyfriend. He reached a hand out, which Blaine promptly took. They gave each other a loving squeeze before both boys turned their attention to Cooper.

"Everything's great, B. How are you doing?"

Blaine nodded, "Fine." He pointed back toward the piano. "Some of your students had really great questions after class. And then others… They just kind of stood there." He shrugged to himself. "I dunno… if I was them, I would have just left early with everyone else."

Cooper laughed at his brother's ignorance and Kurt tried to hold back a grin as he brought a hand up and ran it gentle through Blaine's hair before cupping his cheek. "Oh, Blaine. You are so, so," Kurt started as he leaned in and gave Blaine a chaste kiss (since they were still standing in front of his brother) "oblivious, aren't you?"

Blaine looked at his brother, hoping Cooper would clue him in on what he was apparently not seeing, but Cooper just laughed even harder. "What?"

Kurt whispered in Blaine's ear, "You're a handsome musician with a recording contract."

Eyebrows still furrowed, Blaine whispered back, "But I play the _piano_ and already have a boyfriend." He couldn't comprehend why anyone would be interested in him when he already made his relationship status known.

"Yes you do," Kurt said, thinking it was adorable how Blaine showed zero interest or awareness in other people desiring him that way.

Blaine shook his head and looked back toward his brother who was still smiling. "Coop, Kurt and I have an errand, but then we'll head to your apartment so I can grab my stuff and say goodbye before I have to be at the airport. You want us to pick you up some dinner on the way back?"

Cooper shook his head. "Nah. Don't pick up anything – I'll have something ready for you when you two get back. Send you off right, Grandma Anderson-style."

A wide smile broke out across Blaine's face. "Really Coop?!"

The oldest Anderson nodded. Kurt looked between the brothers, having absolutely no idea what they were talking about, but looking forward to sharing in what appeared to be an Anderson family tradition.

…

Hand in hand, Kurt and Blaine walked to the homeless shelter. They hadn't said anything until they were nearing the building when Kurt finally spoke up. "I'm going to miss you, you know."

Blaine stopped walking and turned to face his boyfriend. "I'm going to miss you too. A lot."

Kurt squeezed his hand and then started walking, tugging Blaine along. "Good. I just wanted to make sure we were still on the same page." They came upon the shelter and Kurt grabbed the door's handle and swung it open, holding it for Blaine to walk through.

"Hey Sally!" both boys called out as they approached the familiar woman at the desk. They expected her to break into a smile like she had the last time they were there, but instead, she squinted her eyes and stared down Blaine.

"That was a nice concert you played last night, son," Sally said evenly. "My husband and I really enjoyed ourselves."

Blaine blushed. "Thank you, ma'am."

"We're you going to tell me your name before you left town?"

The pianist shook his head. "No ma'am." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a check. Wordlessly, Sally pulled out an envelope and handed it to Blaine. He quickly put the check in the envelope and sealed it. She slid a pen across the counter, which he picked up and used to quickly scrawl a lengthy note on the back. Kurt watched as Blaine handed the woman her pen and the envelope back. She looked down at the back of the envelope and smiled, causing Blaine to give a small smile in return. "Is it okay if we go see the kids? We told them we would try to come in today."

Sally nodded and the boys grinned back and thanked her. Taking each other by the hand, they walked down the hallway, this time not dropping hands before walking into the room where the kids were playing.

As soon as they stepped through the doorway, the little girl that favored Kurt the other day ran over and threw her arms around his legs.

"Hey sweetie," Kurt exclaimed before Blaine let go of his hand so he could lean down and hug her.

"You come to read me stories?" she asked as she clung to him while he stood up.

Peeling her off his legs, Kurt picked her up and balanced him on his hip between he and Blaine. "Sure, we can read stories, if that's what you want to do."

She smiled and nodded, then turned and acknowledged Blaine's presence. "You gonna sing songs?"

Blaine smiled as she reached over and buried a hand in his hair before pulling on a handful of his curls. "I think that can be arranged." She crinkled her forehead at him before he chuckled and nodded, moving her hand along with his head. "Silly songs it is." The little girl let go of Blaine's hair and wriggled around, causing Kurt to set her down. She bolted across the room and grabbed a storybook from a stack on the floor.

"STORY TIME!" she yelled, garnering the attention of all the other kids in the room. There weren't as many kids in there as there were the other day, but they quickly settled themselves on the floor and waited patiently while Kurt and Blaine worked their way across the room. Both boys sat on the floor and the little girl quickly scrambled into Kurt's lap, handing Kurt the book.

Blaine watched as Kurt opened the book and started reading to the kids. Even though he was dressed up more than the usual college kid, Kurt somehow still managed to look comfortable and completely at home sitting on the floor with a kid in his lap and more children surrounding him.

Kurt could feel Blaine's eyes on him. As he turned the pages, he would glance over at his boyfriend and smile, grateful to be near him as he read to the kids.

When the story was over, a boy sitting near the stack of books handed another one to the little girl in Kurt's lap and she held it up in front of his face.

"Oh!" Kurt exclaimed, when the book almost hit him in the nose. He took the book out of her hand and lowered it to see what they wanted him to read. When he saw that they had chosen "Anatole and the Piano," Kurt looked over at Blaine and then addressed the kids. "I think we should let Blaine read this one to you, okay?"

Blaine looked confused, especially when Kurt flashed him a wide smile. After being handed the book, Blaine let out a soft chuckle. He had been read this book about the music-loving mouse many times when he was little and gave Kurt a fond look before running his hand down the cover.

"Okay, who's ready for some Anatole?" Blaine asked the kids before gently opening up the cover.

Kurt was just as invested in the story as the kids were as Blaine read. The pianist used different voices for all the characters and would contort his face as he read, really putting himself into it. Kurt was amazed by Blaine's commitment to everything he did, for he gave just as much effort reading to these kids as he did playing for hundreds of paying patrons the night before. It was this kind of selfless disposition that allowed Kurt to fall further for the man sitting next to him. There was no denying it - though they had only known each other for a few days, Kurt knew he would love and be in love with Blaine someday. And with their track record, that someday would be sooner rather than later.

When the story was over, Blaine closed the book and smiled at the kids. He had as much fun reading the story as they had listening to it.

The little girl in Kurt's lap reached up and tugged on one of Blaine's curls. "You sing us some songs now, please?"

Blaine smiled, "Sure."

The little girl looked around, but couldn't find what her eyes were seeking. "Where's your guitar?"

Eyebrows rose as Blaine sincerely apologized her. "Oh, I'm sorry, I don't have it with me today."

Kurt leaned over and whispered loudly so that all the kids could hear, "Blaine can play songs for you on the piano, though."

"Like the mouse?" the little girl asked excitedly.

Blaine chuckled, "Like the mouse."

The pianist got up from the floor and crossed over to the piano. He sat down on the bench and tapped his fingers across the tops of the keys, not pressing down hard enough for them to make a sound, but buying himself a little time while he thought up some quick lyrics he could sing along to a tune the kids might already know.

The little girl scrambled off of Kurt's lap and ran over to the piano bench, using her arms and legs to climb up until she settled herself next to Blaine. Her little legs kicked in the air, for they were far too tiny to reach the ground. The rest of the kids wandered over near the piano and Kurt got up to follow them. He stood behind Blaine and put a hand on his back as the pianist launched into a ditty about penguins and ice cream cones set to the tune of Beethoven's 5th Symphony. The kids were giggling so much that they didn't seem to notice Blaine vamping to give himself time to make up additional verses.

When he wrapped up his song, the kids cheered and clapped, demanding more. He led them in a few rounds of Old MacDonald, complete with jungle animals in addition to the usual farm sounds and rousing renditions of several popular Disney songs.

Soon after, Sally ducked her head in the room and announced that it was almost time for the kids to clean up. Met with groans again, Kurt and Blaine helped the kids pick up the toys that were on the floor before telling them that they too had to get going.

The little girl tugged on Blaine's hand as he and Kurt were headed toward the door. He stopped and knelt down in front of her. "Yes ma'am?" he asked.

"You gonna come back and sing more songs?" She looked so hopeful that Blaine's heart dropped a bit. He looked up at Kurt, silently asking for help how to answer her question.

"Blaine might not be able to come back for awhile because he works in another city," Kurt said softly. "But if you're okay with it, I'd like to come back next week and read you some more stories."

The little girl considered what Kurt told her. After a few moments of looking at Blaine and rationalizing out that he was leaving, she turned to Kurt and said, "Okay."

He smiled and held out his arms. "May I have a hug please?"

She immediately threw herself against Kurt and squeezed her arms against his back. Wiggling with delight, she then turned to Blaine and said, "You can hug us too, you know." Blaine chuckled and wrapped his arms around Kurt and the little girl.

Eventually, Blaine and Kurt stood up and waved their goodbyes to the kids with Kurt promising he would stop back the following week. They took each other by the hand and walked out the door and back down the hallway.

Sally said goodbye to the boys as they headed toward the door. She smiled as the pianist held the door open for Kurt and then followed him out. Once they were both out of sight, she opened her desk drawer and took out the stack of envelopes from the piano player that had amassed over the week. The envelopes that only had cash in them were labeled with how much money he put in, along with a smiley face and a quick message wishing her a good day. The envelope with a check in it from earlier in the week was labeled with the amount on the check and a note reading, "Please do not open until Saturday. (I promise this check won't bounce!)."

She ran her fingers across what he wrote on the back of that day's check. "Please don't open until after I leave today. I'm sorry I didn't tell you who I was – I kind of liked being the nameless kid who made you smile. Thank you for everything you do. I hope this helps the shelter a little bit. Have a great day!"

Carefully opening the envelope so as not to rip across the young man's words, Sally gently pulled out the check inside. The top left corner boasted a treble clef and some music notes next to Devon Anderson's name. She chuckled at how adorable it was and how odd, yet fitting for this young man to have such personalized personal checks. Her chuckling stopped, though, when she saw how much the check was for. "Oh my lord," she muttered to herself.

There were a _lot_ of zeros.


	13. Friday - Part IV

A/N: This is the last part of Friday. I'll try to get the epilogue up soon, but for now, here is the end of their week. Thank you so much for reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.

* * *

FRIDAY - PART IV

Blaine and Kurt held each other's hands tightly as they walked toward Cooper's apartment. It was nearing 3:30pm and Blaine was aiming to get to the airport close 6:00 so he had to leave around 5:30. Both boys were aware of how little time they had left together but neither wanted to address it out loud.

They knew this wasn't goodbye, but they also hadn't gotten a chance to work out the next time they would see each other in person. Kurt was planning on looking at his spring break and weekend schedules for the rest of the semester that night and Blaine had already wrote in his calendar a reminder to talk to his label and managers to see when he had a lull in his recording and concert schedules. Pittsburgh and New York City weren't too far away, but busy schedules were likely to be the biggest obstacle in their way, at least at first.

When they keyed into Cooper's apartment, Blaine's face lit up like he won the lottery. Kurt was about to ask what he was so excited about when the distinct smells of macaroni and cheese and brownies wafted up his nose.

"COOPER THADDEUS ANDERSON, YOU ARE MY FAVORITE BIG BROTHER OF ALL TIME!" Blaine yelled as he ran to the kitchen to see with his own eyes the deliciousness that his brother baked for his farewell dinner. The younger Anderson threw his arms around his brother and gave him a huge hug.

Kurt walked into the kitchen a few moments later and smiled at what he saw. The counters were a mess with bowls and measuring cups everywhere. There were multiple blocks of half-shredded cheese, a spilled container of toothpicks, and various dry ingredients all over the place. But, standing in the middle of it all were the Anderson brothers, holding onto each other like loving lifelines. Blaine's head was buried in Cooper's shirt as the older Anderson whispered into his brother's ear, "You deserve it all, little man." Kurt's cheeks flushed pink as he didn't mean to overhear this moment between the brothers, but at the same time, his heart was overflowing with happiness for Blaine that he had such a caring person in his life.

Blaine pulled away from his brother, the biggest smile possible on his face. "Seriously, Coop, this is awesome. It smells just like grandma's house in here." He turned toward his boyfriend and held out a hand, "Come here, Kurt!" Kurt was quick to slide his hand in Blaine's and allow himself to be dragged across the kitchen to one of the messy counters where a giant bowl with remnants of brownie batter and a long wooden spoon covered in the thick brown goo waited for them. Blaine took hold of the wooden spoon with his free hand and gave it to Cooper. He then took his finger and ran it along the inside of the bowl until it was covered in batter.

Knowing what _he_ would do in the moment, Cooper quickly set the spoon in a cup and excused himself to the restroom so his brother could be alone with Kurt. Seeing that they had a few moments alone, Blaine held his finger up to Kurt's lips. The younger boy's eyes widened, wanting desperately to taste the batter on Blaine's finger not only because it smelled amazing, but because he just _wanted_ to.

Tentatively, Kurt wrapped his lips around Blaine's finger and sucked gently, using his tongue to lick the sweet substance off his boyfriend. His and Blaine's breathing both hitched and Kurt's cheeks turned bright crimson, having never done anything remotely sensual like that before. Blaine slowly dragged his finger out of Kurt's mouth and then immediately leaned in and pressed his lips to Kurt's, tasting the brownie batter on his boyfriend's tongue. He smiled against the younger boy's mouth before wordlessly begging for more as his hands settled themselves on Kurt's hips. Kurt's hands had already found the lapels of Blaine's cardigan and his fingers closed firmly around the soft material.

Before things could go any further, the oven alarm went off, causing both boys to jump back. Cooper jogged back into the kitchen and pressed the Cancel button so the beeping would stop. Kurt and Blaine both burst into a fit of giggles, embarrassed with how scared they were from the alarm, but beyond happy about what just happened between them. "You guys are gross," Cooper said with a smile as Blaine and Kurt both dragged fingers along the inside of the brownie bowl and licked the chocolate off their own hands. "Can you get bowls or plates or something?" Cooper called over his shoulder as he grabbed a potholder and took the macaroni out of the top oven. "The brownies still have awhile yet, but this is done." He set the hot casserole dish on a dishtowel on the counter. "Dinner is served… at 3:45. Jesus, this is true love, B. I usually don't eat dinner until at _least_ 4:00." Cooper crossed to the fridge to get them some drinks.

Blaine smiled and swatted his brother's shoulder before reaching in a cabinet for some bowls. "Thank you, Coop. I know I'm such an inconvenience to your raging bachelor lifestyle."

Kurt dug around in one of the drawers for flatware. "Do you guys want forks or spoons or what?"

Both Anderson boys answered in unison without even looking over at him, "Soup spoons."

Chuckling to himself at the ridiculously specific answer, Kurt grabbed three soup spoons before shutting the drawer. He turned around to see that Blaine had three bowls set out on the counter and Cooper put a bottle of beer behind each bowl.

Before Kurt could say anything, Cooper stepped in. "Look, I know you're not quite 21, but so long as you promise not to drive or get crazy drunk, I'm inviting you to partake in our little tradition of having a beer with our grandma's comfort food." Kurt looked over at Blaine to see if he was okay with what Cooper was proposing, but Blaine was too busy looking in awe at his older brother.

"Thank you, Cooper," Kurt said with a confident smile. "I would love that."

After the macaroni and cheese was spooned into their bowls, the three men flopped down on the couch in the living room and kicked their feet up on the coffee table. Kurt could not get over how surreal it was that he was already so comfortable being with Blaine and his acting teacher in his teacher's apartment.

Blaine knew that he had to leave soon, but he couldn't help but grin like an idiot by being surrounded by his two favorite people eating his favorite food. He felt so safe and loved and his heart swelled even more as Kurt draped his leg over his as naturally as if they had been together for a year instead of a day.

Cooper smiled as he watched his brother just enjoy the moment. It had been awhile since he had seen him so happy and this was honestly the first time he had seen him so comfortable with another person, let alone in a relationship with someone. Blaine was still so young, and Kurt even younger, but they worked together and Cooper hoped that they would be able to handle the distance. If they could become this close this fast, Cooper knew they could likely make their relationship work despite everything working against them.

Partway through their macaroni and cheese, the lower oven's alarm went off, signaling that the brownies were done. Cooper put his bowl down on the coffee table and warned Blaine not to kick it over before he got up to tend to the beeping in the kitchen.

With his brother gone for a moment, Blaine leaned over and gave Kurt a quick kiss on the lips before resting his head on the younger boy's shoulder. "I'm going to miss this."

"I know," Kurt said sadly as he leaned his head against Blaine's.

Blaine spooned out some of his macaroni and cheese and held it up for Kurt. The younger boy accepted the bite and then kissed Blaine's hair after he chewed his food.

Cooper came back from the kitchen and was glad to see his brother hadn't knocked over his food. "Brownies are done, but they're going to need a little while to cool."

"I cannot thank you enough, Coop, for everything this week," Blaine said, reaching a hand over toward his brother.

"It's nothing, B. It's just really good to see you," Cooper replied, shaking off his brother's thanks and giving his hand a squeeze. "I love you, bro."

"I love you too," Blaine said, smiling at his brother. He then took another huge bite of his macaroni, and closed his eyes, trying to just take it all in while he still could.

Kurt couldn't help but smile at how comfortable the two brothers were with each other and their feelings. He admired how Cooper was so accepting of Blaine and their mutual love and respect for each other. In this week he saw a lot of teasing, but he also witnessed an even greater amount of affection.

The boys finished their dinner, chatting amicably. Cooper was about to offer the others brownies when Blaine cut him off. "Nope. I got this." He untangled his leg from Kurt's and bounded off the couch calling behind him, "Anybody need another drink." Both Cooper and Kurt declined.

As Blaine dug out some dessert plates and a knife to cut the brownies, Kurt leaned over to speak to Cooper. "Thank you so much, Cooper. The mac and cheese was delicious."

The oldest Anderson smiled. "You're welcome, Kurt. I'm glad you could be here to hang out and have dinner with us." He dropped his voice so his brother couldn't hear. "Look, I know I'm your teacher and everything, and I don't want this to get weird, but if you ever need anything, like to talk or whatever after Blaine's back in New York, I want you to know that I am here for you, okay? You're important to Blaine and as much as I know you two will talk and stuff, I know he's going to make sure that I keep an eye on you."

Kurt smiled and nodded. "Thank you." He looked back at the kitchen at Blaine, who was busy cutting pieces of brownie for everyone. "I just wanted to let you know that I would never do anything to hurt him. He may want you to keep tabs on me, but if it's okay with you, can you keep an eye out on him for me? I get that that's a lot to ask, but I care about him a lot and you obviously know him the best out of anybody."

Cooper understood what Kurt was asking and was glad to play a part in helping these two make sure the other one was okay while they were apart.

"God Coop, these smell amazing," Blaine said as he walked back into the living room with three plates full of brownies. "I tried making grandma's recipe a few months ago and they turned out terrible."

"That's because you suck at baking, B."

Blaine rolled his eyes at his brother as he handed him a plate. He then turned to his boyfriend and gave him a brownie. "Kurt, I don't want to sound cocky or anything, but this is literally going to be the best brownie you've ever tasted in your entire life."

Kurt smiled as he accepted the plate from Blaine and waited until his boyfriend was seated again before picking up the dessert and taking a bite. Blaine was right – this was the best brownie he ever had and his first thought was to ask Cooper for the recipe, but he quickly shook that idea, as it was a family recipe and Kurt didn't want to intrude on such a personal tradition.

When Blaine bit into his brownie, he didn't even try to suppress the moan that slipped out of his throat. Mouth still full of brownie, he turned to his brother, smiled, and mumbled, "This tastes like home, man."

Cooper nodded in agreement and looked over to Kurt. "Good brownies, right Kurt?

Not wanting to talk with his mouthful like his boyfriend just had, Kurt covered his mouth with one hand as he nodded while he swallowed. "This tastes amazing, Cooper. Thank you both for sharing this with me. Your grandma's recipes are fantastic."

"Well, I'll make you a copy of them – she gave us a whole cook book. If I had more time, I would have made her creamed spinach."

Blaine leaned back into the couch and allowed his eyes to roll back, "Oh my god, Kurt. I usually hate spinach, but somehow hers tastes like the greatest side dish of all time."

Chuckling at how much Blaine reacted over food, Kurt turned his attention back to Cooper. "That's really sweet, Cooper, but I could never take your family's recipes like that."

Cooper held up a hand to quiet the youngest boy. "Seriously, Kurt, it's no big deal. Hell, you'll probably get your own copy of the book. I'm pretty sure it's part of the 'Welcome to the family' kit."

Kurt's cheeks flushed pink at Cooper's remark. Though this was the third time that day one of the Anderson boys referred to him as family, it didn't feel any less significant. He felt lucky to be so accepted by these loving people and secretly couldn't wait to meet the rest of their kin.

The rest of dessert was fairly silent, with the exception of the happy noises emanating from Blaine's throat as he happily finished off his brownie.

His contented sigh turned sad, though, when he checked his watch and saw that it was nearing 5:00. Only 30 minutes to go before a car was coming to pick him up for the airport. "I should probably finish packing," he said quietly, talking to himself more than to his brother and boyfriend.

Kurt and Cooper watched as Blaine got up from the couch and slowly carried his plate and empty beer bottle to the kitchen. They turned to each other and Kurt whispered to Cooper, "I'll clean up the kitchen." Cooper started to shake him off, but this time it was Kurt who didn't want to hear it. "Please. It's the least I can do."

As Blaine walked down the hall to the guest room, Kurt gathered his and Cooper's plates and bottles before making his way over to the sink. Cooper smiled sadly, grateful for Kurt's kind gesture, but sad that his brother was leaving soon because it never felt like enough time. He meant what he said earlier to Kurt – that he wished Blaine and Kurt had more time together that week. Yes, Cooper would have liked some additional time with his brother too, but he knew it was more important for the younger boys to be with each other as much as possible before they would be ripped apart by work and school.

With Kurt busy in the kitchen, Cooper walked down hall to the guest room. He stopped in the doorway when he saw Blaine sitting on the bed, clinging to his Wolverine stuffed animal. "He'll be here when you come back to visit, you know," Cooper said gently so as not to completely startle his brother.

Blaine looked up with a watery half-smile and hugged Wolverine tighter; nodding to indicate he knew what his brother said was true. "I wish I didn't have to go," the younger Anderson mumbled as a tear rolled down his cheek.

Cooper's face dropped as quickly crossed the room to sit next to his brother. He wrapped an arm around Blaine's shoulder and gave him a loving squeeze. "I know."

Another tear fell, dripping onto Blaine's hand. He chuckled, "Man, I have been crying _a lot_ this week."

The older Anderson snorted. "It's okay, B. Sometimes you just gotta let it out."

They sat quietly on the bed together for a minute in silence that was anything but awkward.

When Blaine's breathing steadied and the tears stopped falling, he turned to his brother. "I know I sound like a broken record, but thank you. Seriously, thank you. The cooking, the listening, the letting me spend so much time with Kurt. I – ," Blaine shook his head in disbelief, "I really don't know what else I can say but Thank You a million times over."

Cooper smiled, "You don't have to thank me, B. But you're welcome. You have to know by now that I would do just about anything for you. And if I could give you more time, I would, but I think they're still a few years out on the technology." Blaine scrunched his nose and nudged his shoulder against his brother's before his face settled back to a slight frown.

"Coop?"

"Yeah, B?"

Blaine stared down at the Wolverine stuffed toy in his lap. "Will you keep an eye out on Kurt for me?"

A small chuckled escaped Cooper's lips before he answered. "Already been handled, little man." Blaine looked up at his brother, slightly confused. "I literally just had this conversation with Kurt, like, 15 minutes ago." Cooper shrugged. "I'll keep an eye out on you for him, and an eye out on him for you. I expect to be paid handsomely and will take cash, check or any major credit cards." Blaine bumped his brother again, but harder, causing Cooper to laugh. They settled themselves after a few moments before Cooper said, completely serious, "You guys are going to be okay, you know."

Blaine nodded, knowing his brother was right, but still thankful to hear him say it out loud. "I really care about him, Coop."

"And he feels the same way," Cooper replied.

Blaine's eyebrows shot up. "Did you guys talk about that too?! Jesus, how long was I in the kitchen?"

"Look, yes, he told me that, but he didn't _need_ to for me to see how you two feel about each other." Cooper took his arm away from his brother's shoulders and repositioned himself so that he was facing Blaine. "I have never _ever_ seen you so comfortable around somebody else, Blaine. For the first time, I think you're actually really happy instead of just being content. But it's not just you, B, don't you see? You do that for Kurt too. I've only had him as a student for a few weeks, but even in the past few days I've seen how much he's opened himself up and that's because of _you_." Cooper poked Blaine in the chest for emphasis. "You two are so good for each other, it's ridiculous. So of course I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you guys stay on track. I don't want to deal with mopey, spinster Blaine in ten, fifteen years."

"Coop, in ten years, I'll be as old as you are now," Blaine pointed out.

The older Anderson held up his hand to quiet his brother. "Regardless. You're going to be happy, dammit. And I want you to be happy with Kurt."

Blaine couldn't help but grin as he gave a little mock salute. "Yes, sir."

"I love you, Blaine."

"I love you too, Coop."

The brothers hugged, with Cooper rubbing a hand on his brother's back. Blaine smiled into his brother's shoulder; grateful for the best big brother anybody could ask for.

By the time Cooper and Blaine emerged from the guest room with Kurt's overnight bag, Blaine's suitcase, garment bag and guitar in tow, Kurt had pretty much cleaned up the whole kitchen.

"Holy shit, Kurt," Cooper muttered in complete shock. "You can have all the special privileges in acting class that you want."

Kurt smiled as Blaine walked over and snuggled up against him. "Oh, so sleeping with Blaine won't get me anywhere, but loading your dishwasher and wiping off the counter will?" Kurt asked in a teasing voice. "I see how it goes."

Blaine chuckled as Cooper's look of awe turned into a crooked grin. "Well played, Hummel."

Just then, Blaine's phone beeped, indicating that the car was outside waiting for him. It was already decided earlier that Kurt would go with him to the airport and then the car would drop him off back at his dorm.

Blaine peeled himself away from Kurt and walked over to his brother, allowing himself to be wrapped up in Cooper's arms. "Safe travels, little man. Text me when you get home, okay?" Blaine nodded into Cooper's chest. "And we'll figure out when I can come visit. But if you ever need to get away from the city, my door is always open."

The brothers pulled apart and Blaine offered his brother a heartbroken smile. "Thanks Coop. I love you."

Cooper nodded and swatted at his brother's head. "Love you too, B."

Blaine then turned back to Kurt and held out a hand. "You ready?"

Kurt was not ready to see Blaine go, but he nodded through his conflicting thoughts and took Blaine by the hand for the short distance across the kitchen to pick up their bags. They were able to situate the bags and guitar so that they each still had a hand free to hold as they made their way downstairs to the awaiting car.

Once their bags were in the trunk, Kurt and Blaine climbed into the backseat and rolled the partition up so they couldn't see the driver. They weren't planning on doing anything inappropriate, but they wanted all the privacy they could get in their last 30 minutes with each other.

Fingers instantly twined and Kurt's legs found themselves draped over Blaine's. Gentle kisses were exchanged between murmurs of adoration and gratitude. After awhile, fingers unclasped as hands began to wander freely over the soft material of each other's clothes. There was an unspoken agreement not to take things too far, as they each wanted their first time with each other to be drawn out and enjoyed at their own pace rather than rushed in the back of a hired car. Though their time was running out that day, they knew they would be together again and it would be worth the wait to share that part of themselves with each other.

As the minutes ticked by, kisses got more heated and hands gripped desperately to each other, begging for more time than they knew they were allotted. Soft whimpers and pleading moans fell from their lips in between licks and sucks to each other's mouths and necks.

In what felt like a blink of an eye, the boys felt the car pull to a stop and get put in park. The partition was rolled down by an apologetic driver who informed them that they were at the airport. Tears threatened to well up in the boys' eyes as they nodded in understanding.

Not even bothering to straighten their hair or fix the slightly rumpled state of their clothes, Blaine and Kurt exited the back of the car. Wordlessly, they went to the trunk and grabbed Blaine's suitcase, guitar and garment bag. Kurt knew he could only get as far as baggage check before he would be forced to leave Blaine's side while the older boy went through security.

Blaine thanked and tipped the driver, informing him that Kurt would be back out in a few minutes. The driver nodded in understanding, feeling bad that these two boys who were obviously in love were going to have to part.

Kurt held the door open for Blaine before himself walking into the airport's lobby area. For a Friday night, it was quiet busy – people rushing from one line to another, passports, ID cards and tickets in hand.

Somehow Blaine was able to make it through the baggage check line quickly while Kurt waited patiently near the line's exit. With only his guitar, Blaine walked back over to Kurt. Hand in hand, they walked toward the security line, able to find a quiet spot off to the side.

After setting his guitar down on the floor, Blaine held out his hands for Kurt to take. Kurt instantly slotted his fingers with Blaine's and squeezed them. They looked into each other's eyes and knew there weren't words for everything they were feeling right then.

It was Kurt who finally spoke up first. "I refuse to say Goodbye because I know this isn't the end." Blaine smiled at the sentiment as Kurt continued to speak. "Meeting you, knowing you, falling for you has been one of the greatest adventures of my life, Blaine, and I'm so proud to be with you."

Tears couldn't help but escape from the corners of Blaine's eyes. "I never thought that I would find someone who I could share myself with and who would still be there after they got to know the real me, scars and all." He brought their hands up to his mouth so he could kiss Kurt's knuckles. "I'm falling so hard for _you_, Kurt, and even though it's really scary," Blaine admitted as he chuckled through the tears, "I'm not afraid because I'm with you and I want to be with you for as long as you'll have me."

The corners of Kurt's mouth slid up as tears rolled down his alabaster cheeks. "So far, it's looking like forever, so don't mess it up, _Devon_." Blaine smiled at the jab, knowing full well Kurt was teasing him because if they couldn't laugh in the moment, they would both lose it.

They leaned in and pressed their lips together in a slow, salt-filled kiss. Each boy's eyes were closed tight, trying to commit this overwhelming feeling of want and passion to memory for something to hold onto on the upcoming nights when they would be apart.

Reluctantly pulling away, they leaned their foreheads together while they caught their breath. Time was out and Blaine had to get going.

"I'm going to love you, you know," Blaine whispered before placing a gentle kiss on Kurt's cheek, tasting tears.

Kurt smiled and nodded. "And you're going to be loved in return."

They both started giggling, even though they were still crying.

One final time, they wrapped their arms around each other and held tight.

"I have to go," Blaine murmured into Kurt's ear. "I don't want to, but I have to."

Kurt replied sadly, "I know." They untangled themselves from each other and Kurt picked up Blaine's guitar and handed it to the older boy as a silent sign that though he was unwilling to see him leave, he understood that their time was up. "Call me tonight after you're settled?"

Blaine nodded, afraid that if he dared to say anything else, only sobs would leave his mouth. He got a firmer grip on his guitar case's handle and started walking backward toward the security line. Kurt gave him a small wave and he put his best brave face on and attempted to smile back.

When Blaine finally turned around to get in line, Kurt bolted – running through the airport and toward the hired car as fast as he could. The next time Blaine had a chance to look up and over to where he and Kurt parted, he saw the other boy was gone.

The driver saw Kurt approaching the car and quickly opened the door for him to get inside. Kurt scrambled into the back seat and could not stop the flood of tears from racing down his face. He didn't make a sound, except for sniffles, but the tears kept coming. When the driver got back into his seat, he saw how upset his lone passenger was. He offered a sad smile as he rolled up the partition to give the young boy some privacy.

A few minutes into the ride back to his dorm, Kurt felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Wiping his tears so he could see, Kurt dug his phone out of his pocket and saw it was a text from Blaine. As he read, several more popped up.

_I would call you right now if I didn't think I'd be a sobbing mess in the waiting area._

_This has been the greatest week of my life._

_Even though you thought I was homeless and that I was fooling around with Coop. _

_(ALL of which were my fault, btw. And I will continue to apologize for that as long as I live.)_

_But, seriously, Kurt… You move me. You make me feel like the best version of myself. _

_And although we only got to spend a few days together, I look forward to our phone calls and Skype and letters. (because I __**will**__ write you letters if you want… so many letters)_

_And I know we'll see each other again. And we'll hold each other again. _

_But, I already miss you, Kurt. I miss your arms around me. I miss your lips on mine. I miss your laugh. And your teasing. And those jeans you have on right now ;)_

_(God, I hope you are smiling. I miss your smile. But please, __**please**__ share it with everyone else while we're apart.)_

_I'm calling my parents this weekend to tell them about you. There is a 50% chance Coop already beat me to the punch. _

_I hope you can come visit me in New York. I will take you anywhere and show you everything._

_The distance is going to be hard. I'm not going to pretend that it isn't. But I believe in us and I can't imagine my life without you._

_I have to board the plane soon, so this will be my last text for now. I'll call you later tonight, but know that I am yours, Kurt, for as long as you'll have me. xxxxBlaine_

Kurt wiped the tears from his eyes before closing them and holding his phone to his heart. After composing himself, he began typing out text responses to his boyfriend.

…

Blaine sat in his seat on the plane, with his seatbelt on and his phone clutched in his hand. He knew he was going to have to turn it off soon, but he was hoping to hear something back from Kurt before takeoff.

As he watched other people meander down the aisle, Blaine felt his phone vibrate. Excited at the prospect of a message from Kurt, he nearly dropped his phone on the floor. Scrambling to unlock the phone, he saw multiple messages from his boyfriend.

_I'm smiling, Blaine. I'm smiling for you. I'm smiling because of you. _

_But I miss __**your**__ smile. And I miss the way you blush when you get flustered. I miss the way my fingers feel running through your hair. I miss the way your tongue tastes. _

_You are a beautiful person, Blaine. And I don't just mean your nice arms and how your ass looks in your jeans. But damn, Blaine. Just, damn ;)_

_You are a great man – I am in awe of your generosity and kindness towards others. I admire your relationship with your brother and am grateful to have been let into your lives. _

_I can't wait to visit you in New York. I can't wait to see the city through your eyes and fall in love with it as I am falling for you._

_I believe in us too and it's overwhelming, terrifying and amazing that you feel about me the same way I feel about you. _

_I'm calling my dad as soon as I get home to tell him about you. He does __**not**__ own a shotgun. This piece of information will come in handy sometime down the line, I'm sure._

_I am yours as much as you are mine, Blaine. I look forward to hearing your voice later tonight because it'll help remind me that this week was real. Safe travels, my [insert whatever term of endearment I'm allowed to call you… of which we better add that to the list of stuff we still need to talk about]. xxxxxxKurt_

Blaine grinned at his boyfriend's words and was still smiling when the flight attendant scolded him for not turning off his electronic devices when he was already instructed to do so.

They were going to be okay. He didn't quite know how, but they were going to be okay.


	14. Epilogue

A/N: Whelp - this is it. (Note - The boys see a little action in this chapter, but I wouldn't label it "smut" because it's not.) Thank you for sticking out this story with me!

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.

* * *

EPILOGUE

The distance was more difficult than they thought, but Kurt and Blaine worked hard to get through it because they thought what they had was worth fighting for.

Surprisingly to both boys, they had full support from their family about maintaining a long-distance relationship. Each had immediately broached the topic with his parents that first weekend apart and was expecting to be told that sudden feelings for the other boy would leave as quickly as they came. Instead, he was offered words of support and encouragement.

Kurt's dad and stepmother as well as Blaine's parents knew their sons were not quick to throw around their feelings and knew the boys often tried to hide how lonely everyone else knew they really were. To hear about how soon their sons felt this strongly about someone else was a surprise – but a pleasant one. Burt grilled his son, wanting to know that "this Blaine kid's intentions" were pure. Blaine admitted to his mother repeatedly that he wasn't expecting to fall for someone so fast, but there was something special about Kurt and he felt more alive knowing the younger boy was in his life.

Armed with their parents' blessings and fierce determination to see things through, Kurt and Blaine vowed never to let a day go by without some sort of contact. Often they were able to talk on the phone, if even for a few minutes, but sometimes there was only time for a text or two. It was never a chore to reach out to the other person, but a desperate need and want to keep the conversation going because there was still so much to learn.

Though they wouldn't see each other in person for weeks and months at a time, there were daily reminders of the other's presence. Kurt went back to the shelter each week through the end of his semester like clockwork and would find the piano was tuned and there were stacks of brand new books and board games for the kids to read and play with. Sally would smile at him and ask about his piano man and Kurt would chuckle and tell her that his boyfriend was doing well and working on his next album.

Blaine was busy, taking meetings and recording. He spent long hours in the studio, playing until his fingers cramped up, making sure everything was perfect because he wouldn't accept anything less than his best.

…

As much as they joked the boys never sent each other letters, but every now and again, one would get a care package out of the blue. Blaine sent Kurt a stack of signed Playbills from Broadway shows he went to. Near the end of his semester, Kurt sent Blaine a batch of brownies and a bunch of Polaroid pictures of him and Cooper baking them.

Blaine sank to the floor in the kitchen of his Brownstone, box in his hand. He could smell the brownies before he saw them and a tear rolled down his cheek as he saw the dozen or so pictures of his boyfriend and brother making silly faces in Cooper's kitchen. There was a note attached to the top of the container in which the brownies were nestled. More tears fell as Blaine read Kurt's words meant only for him. They still had a month to go before they saw each other again, but for a moment, it felt like Blaine was with his family again – and that family included Kurt.

The tearful pianist took a bite of brownie and was grateful no one else was around to hear the noise that fell from his lips. After a couple more bites and an overwhelming sense of home filling his heart, he pulled his phone from his pocket and called Kurt, hoping to be able to Face Time with him.

Kurt picked up after just one ring with a wide smile at the sight of his boyfriend. He chuckled when Blaine greeted him through a mouthful of brownie and felt honored when Blaine praised the brownies to be just as good – if not better – than his grandma's.

Their conversation was cut short when Kurt explained that he had to get to a final. They still never said goodbye to each other and this call was no exception. However, instead of telling Kurt that he'd talk to him later, Blaine said "I love you" and time seemed to stop.

Blaine had been aching to say those three little, but wholly huge words to Kurt since they parted and his feelings for the younger boy only increased as time passed. He had been planning to tell Kurt face-to-face that he loved him when he picked him up from the airport later that summer, but it was too late and there was no way he could or would take them back.

Eyes widened from both parties and there were several beats of silence before Blaine launched into one of his rambling monologues about how he didn't mean to say it, but he still meant it, but how he wanted to wait until he could hold Kurt and tell him to his face. Blaine stopped talking on his own accord when he heard and saw Kurt chuckling on his phone screen. The pianist broke into an embarrassed, crooked smile and asked what was so funny to which Kurt replied "you."

Kurt wished he could reach through the phone and touch Blaine's cheek as he told him he was loved too. And while it would be nice if they could kiss each other right then and there, having it finally out in the open that they loved one another was going to make their visit all the more perfect.

Since the moment he met Kurt, Blaine was always grateful for the other boy. But in that moment, Blaine felt lucky to be himself because Kurt Hummel loved him.

…

Neither boy said "I love you" first at the airport because they both blurted it out at the exact same time before bursting into a fit of giggles near baggage claim when Kurt was finally able to fly out for a visit.

They only had one weekend together before Kurt had to fly back to Ohio to help out at his dad's shop. Burt Hummel wished he could have given his son a longer visit in New York, but after some less than stellar results from his yearly physical, Kurt was needed at home to help out around the shop. Though Kurt would have liked more time with Blaine, helping his father would always be top priority and Blaine honestly wouldn't want it any other way.

Kurt had only ever been to New York City once with his glee club for the National Show Choir Competition his junior year of high school but hadn't been back since. He always planned to move there someday, but knew he couldn't do that until after college. As a car drove them from the airport to Blaine's home, Kurt found himself tearing his eyes away from the skyline to look at his boyfriend. Though New York City was always his dream, Blaine was infinitely more important and it felt like a privilege to be able to tangle their fingers together.

Upon entering Blaine's Brownstone, Kurt was sad to see it didn't really feel like a home. It was tastefully decorated, but the only room that screamed "Blaine" was the bedroom. It was decorated much like Cooper's guest room, with pictures of the Anderson brothers and their parents from various vacations and landmarks.

Blaine regretfully had to excuse himself a few minutes after get Kurt got settled because his phone rang and it was his manager. One phone call was a small price to pay for a weekend free of work stuff and Kurt knew the call was coming. He took the time to walk around Blaine's home and familiarize himself with the layout.

Kurt ran a gentle hand over the shiny kitchen appliances that seemed hardly used. He strolled back into Blaine's room, pretending he needed something from his suitcase, but really just wanting an excuse to see the pictures again. He loved seeing Blaine's smile and the warmth he emanated from being around his family.

After several minutes of staring at a picture of a happy Blaine with bandages and gauze on both hands and arms being tickled by Cooper, Kurt felt lips on his neck and leaned into the embrace. Shyly, Blaine pulled away and held out his hand, silently asking Kurt to follow him to the bed.

They laid down next to each other, face-to-face. Slowly they inched closer and hands began to wander freely. Soon shirts were unbuttoned and fingers traced languid paths across firm spans' of skin previously unexplored. New territory was marked with soft kisses and gentle grazes of teeth; seized land boasting _this is ours_ as opposed to _this is mine_.

Through months of conversation it had already come out that Kurt was a virgin in every sense of the word while Blaine had only gone so far as having someone's hand on him. Blaine's one college boyfriend was always pressuring him to go farther, but he knew the other boy didn't love him. Even though Blaine was desperate for physical contact at the time, he wasn't willing to do something with someone who wasn't going to stick around.

As the night wore on, there was an unspoken agreement that neither boy had any expectations as to where the physical aspect of their relationship was headed. Though they had been boyfriends for months, they had still actually only spent a few days together and they weren't going to rush into something because of a social stigma.

They woke up in each other's arms, feeling safe and wanted. The only thing that convinced Kurt to get out of bed was a promise from Blaine of Sardi's for brunch and a matinee of his favorite musical. Hands stayed clasp the whole day and well into the evening when they walked through Central Park, leaning in every now and again to steal a kiss under a streetlight.

Kurt was amazed by everything throughout the day – the hustle of the city, the ease at which his boyfriend maneuvered them through crosswalks, the size of the Clock of the Time Dragon, the amount of heat on his own face whenever Blaine stared at him like he hung the moon. As they strolled down the winding paths of the park, Kurt sighed contentedly, wondering if it was actually possible to have everything you ever wanted. He was in his favorite city in the world with the man he loved.

Blaine was equally in awe of his luck and was afraid that if he blinked the wrong way, it all would be taken away from him. He wasn't used to being so happy. It wasn't that he was a miserable person; he just found that life was infinitely better with Kurt being a part of it. Kurt wasn't a crutch – if anything, he was a breath of fresh air.

After their perfect day together, Kurt cooked them dinner while Blaine set his immaculate dining room table with fine china he had never had cause to use. It saddened Kurt that Blaine lived alone and didn't seem capable of cooking anything more intricate than scrambled eggs or Ramen noodles, but the pianist assured him that though he ate take-out almost every day, he tried to eat healthy and worked out a few days a week. Kurt made a mental note to send his boyfriend more food-based care packages once they were parted again.

Blaine insisted on washing and drying the dishes since Kurt cooked, so Kurt kept him company by sitting on the counter. They talked about anything and everything, trying not to think about how they once again had less then 24 hours with each other until one of them was flying out of town.

The boys showered quickly in separate bathrooms before meeting back up in Blaine's room. T-shirts were shed quickly as hands roamed and fingertips hesitantly ran along elastic waistbands. With shaky hands, Kurt pulled down his own pajama pants. Blaine opened his mouth to say that he didn't have to do that, but Kurt shook him off and planted a gentle kiss on his lips. "I want this," he whispered. "I want you." Blaine gulped and nodded, unable to form words, let alone coherent thoughts at the moment. Soon Blaine's pajama pants were in a pile on the floor next to the bed and he was leaning against the headboard with Kurt seated on his lap. Their hips rocked slowly together, unevenly at first, but steadier as they gained confidence with each other. Declarations of love fell from their lips as spurts of warm ejaculate dampened the fronts of their boxer briefs. They rode out their highs with arms clasped around each other and waves of euphoria washing over their hearts.

…

Soon schedules got busy again and Kurt was back in school while Blaine played concerts all over the country. Cooper and Kurt drove to Cleveland together to see Blaine play and then took him out for a post-concert pizza before they all crashed in Blaine's hotel room that night. A two-bedroom suite, the younger boys reacquainted themselves with each other's bodies before spending the rest of their night in each other's arms, grateful for the rare chance to say face-to-face how much they loved each other.

Weeks and months passed and they were grateful for Kurt's winter break and the holiday season as it allowed them to spend more than just a couple hours together. Though they spent time with their own families, Kurt and Blaine were only an hour apart and could easily meet up for coffee or dinner dates. This was also the first time the boys had a chance to meet the other's parents.

Burt Hummel thought Blaine was a strange ranger when he first met him. The pianist was nervous although Kurt had reassured him that there was nothing to be scared of and that while his dad looked imposing, he was really a big softie. As soon as it was made known that Blaine was a hazard in the kitchen and liked football, Burt let out a hearty laugh and asked Blaine if he was sure he wasn't his son. Kurt's heart melted at how quickly Burt took a liking to Blaine and immediately included him in conversation and teased him as if he were already family. Carole doted on the pianist, thinking he was the most adorable young man she had ever seen. She couldn't help but grin at how much this boy was in love with her stepson and was willing to be the brunt of every joke if it meant staying by Kurt's side.

Vanessa Anderson took a liking to Kurt as soon as he stepped through the doorway, hand wrapped tightly around her son's. Though his eyes were wide since she knew he had never met any guy's parents before, she could tell by his body language that he would talk through fire for Blaine. Ethan Anderson appreciated Kurt's firm handshake and contribution to conversation. It amazed him how someone so young was so well informed and opinionated about everything from politics to popular culture. Both Andersons were surprised to see how at ease their son was with and around Kurt. It was hard not to stare in awe of the gentle touches or private looks the boys shared and how this was genuinely the happiest their son had ever been.

New Year's Eve found the boys back at Blaine's Brownstone. They were overwhelmed by the love and support of their families and grateful for how well everyone got along. It felt too good to be true, being in such a strong relationship despite the challenges of spending most of their time apart. They rang in the New Year from Blaine's bed, sharing themselves completely with each other as the rest of the city cheered.

…

Blaine was convinced that their first big fight was going to be their last because he was pretty sure Kurt was going to break up with him.

They had been dating for just over a year, but had been physically apart for most of their time together. The distance was hard and they had to work to stay on the same page in their relationship. As amazing as things usually were, they would have their fair share of disagreements. One would miss a Skype date because of sudden changes in his schedule, or he would complain about missing the other one so much that it hurt. They thought they were being as open and honest as they could be, trying to work through everything together.

Blaine still had a bit of a problem omitting things from conversations and it would upset Kurt to hear secondhand information about his boyfriend from Cooper or find out about something about Blaine's career well after the fact. Kurt repeatedly told Blaine that it was okay to tell him anything; regardless how silly or insignificant Blaine thought it was. Kurt did his best to not get upset, but finally lost it when Blaine didn't tell him that he was a Classical Fellowship Awards Finalist.

The fight started over the phone and escalated quickly. For the second time since knowing Blaine, Kurt raised his voice and yelled at the older boy while all Blaine could do was stay silent and take the berating because he know he was in the wrong. It wasn't that he was trying to keep it from Kurt; he just didn't know how to tell Kurt about it without sounding like he was full of himself. It was a very prestigious honor and Blaine was proud of himself, but since he felt it dealt with the Devon Anderson aspect of his life and career, Blaine was hesitant to broach the topic with Kurt because that's how he almost messed up their relationship before it even started.

Kurt yelled and then yelled some more, begging for a reason why Blaine didn't want to share that part of his life with him. Kurt was so proud of Blaine and his immense talent and accomplishments and wanted to celebrate and champion his boyfriend's amazing career. From there, Kurt just lashed out, questioning if there were other things Blaine was keeping from him. They had sworn to tell each other everything and be honest with each other since the distance was so hard and the only way they would make it was to work together, but in the moment, Kurt felt like he was being kept out of their loop.

Blaine apologized and promised he would share everything with his boyfriend because he loved him, but Kurt was still hurt. When Blaine asked if there was anything he could do to make it better, he wasn't prepared for Kurt immediately demanding a few days to himself. Since they first met, they hadn't gone more than 24 hours without some sort of contact, but here was Kurt asking for half a week of no contact. Blaine knew he was too young to be having a heart attack, but he imagined his anguish over the prospect of not talking to Kurt for several days was on par with one.

Because Blaine was so in love with Kurt and swore he would do anything to make things right, he left Kurt alone as asked. But, when three days of no talking turned into five, Blaine couldn't take it anymore. After speaking to Cooper, Blaine found out that Kurt had flown back to Ohio to be with his dad. Heart still broken for the pain he caused his boyfriend, Blaine blew off a meeting with his manager and caught the first flight to Columbus. Too young to rent a car, he convinced a hired car to drive him all the way to Lima, making one quick stop along the way, and promising a huge tip and eternal gratitude for the service.

When Burt opened his door at 10:34pm that night, he wasn't surprised to see Blaine standing on the other side. To be honest, Burt expected him sooner. But, the boys were still young and he figured Blaine was trying to be respectful of Kurt's wishes. Burt knew the whole story of the fight by that point and thought that both boys were in the wrong, but knew Kurt was too stubborn to budge first. "He's upstairs," were the only words out of Burt's mouth before clapping a hand on the pianist's shoulders.

Blaine took the stairs two at a time but then froze while lifting his fist to the door to knock. He panicked, asking himself what he was going to do if this was it – if Kurt didn't want to be with him anymore. His other hand palmed a small velvet box in his coat pocket while his heart raced.

Summoning some courage, Blaine knocked quietly on the door. He heard Kurt mutter, "I don't want to talk about it anymore, Dad," before he closed his eyes and slowly turned the knob. Removing the pillow from over his head, Kurt snapped, "Dad, I said I don't want to talk about Bl-." His tearful eyes widened as he finished softly, "Blaine."

The pianist stayed planted near the door, unsure if Kurt would even want to see him let alone touch him. Kurt pulled himself off the bed and slowly walked toward Blaine before throwing his arms around the older boy and bursting into tears. Blaine melted into the embrace, but could still feel some tension hanging in the air.

They finally parted and the room was filled with an awkward silence completely unlike any other time they had been together. Blaine began to feel uncomfortable, so he dropped to one knee and with fumbling fingers, pulled the box out of his coat.

Kurt's eyes were so large one could see white all the way around his cloudy blue irises. Blaine began to ramble, apologizing profusely for not telling Kurt about being a Finalist and for every other stupid mistake he had made in their relationship. He swore he would tell Kurt anything and everything and would work so hard to make it work. He loved Kurt and never wanted to cause him pain. Blaine confessed that he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Kurt since their first date and asked Kurt for the honor of becoming his husband.

Blaine's heart beat fast, threatening to break through his rib cage and onto the floor. Kurt was breathing heavy too, as he reached forward and closed the lid to the ring box, shaking his head all the while. "No, Blaine. No," Kurt said, brokenly. "Not like this."

The pianist clenched his eyes shut, trying to wake up from this nightmare, but finding himself still kneeling on Kurt's floor when his eyes opened once more. He looked up at Kurt, eyes pleading for an explanation, but all Kurt could offer was a sad smile and a hand to help Blaine up off the floor.

They sat on Kurt's bed, noticeable space between their bodies. Blaine's shoulders drooped as he prepared to be dumped. The ring box was still in his hands, his fingers spinning it around because they needed something to do. Out of the corner of his eye, Blaine could see Kurt still shaking his head. "It's over, isn't it?" Blaine quietly implored. Tears dripped slowly down his cheeks and onto his hands.

Kurt wiped his own eyes as he looked over at Blaine, stunned at his boyfriend's question. "What? No." The younger boy reached over, stilled Blaine's hands with one of his own and waited for the pianist to look him in the eye.

"But…" Blaine tried to read Kurt but was failing spectacularly. He looked back down at the ring box in his hand.

"Just because I didn't say yes doesn't mean that we're over, Blaine. I love you so much," Kurt confessed.

Some of the tension eased out of Blaine's shoulders upon those words. "I love you too."

Kurt sighed, "But you can't just come here and propose while we're in the middle of a fight and think that's going to solve everything Blaine." The younger boy ran his free hand through Blaine's hair, letting himself have a moment to collect his thoughts. "We both messed up. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I just want us to be able to tell each other everything. I am so, so proud of you and I need to you to know that I am always going to be there to support you and your career."

Blaine nodded and sniffled. "I'm sorry Kurt. I know I should have told you and I wanted to – but I still kick myself for not being upfront about myself when we first met and I just feel like you'd rather be with me than with… Devon." Blaine sighed and chuckled humorlessly at how silly that sounded.

The younger boy leaned over and kissed Blaine gently on the forehead. "I love all of you." He brushed a soft kiss to his cheek as Blaine's eyes fluttered closed. "And I _will_ marry you someday, Devon Blaine Anderson. But I can't accept your proposal right now." Blaine knew Kurt was right and was embarrassed at his proposal because he felt Kurt deserved so much better. Kurt could feel Blaine's jaw clench as his lips kissed his other cheek but knew he couldn't do or say anything to make Blaine feel better about the situation.

They spent the night wrapped in each other's arms, talking through their fight until both boys drifted off into an exhausted-induced sleep. Though there were still things that needed to be discussed, they were well on their way to a stronger relationship that was sadly to be plagued by distance for another two years.

…

Kurt's graduation was a big relief for everyone. It celebrated the end of Kurt's hard work at Point Park and the beginning of his and Blaine's life together. They had made it through over three years of being apart for a majority of their relationship but were doing better than ever after their huge fight. Communication was continually something they had to work on, but neither boy was ever afraid to speak his mind or be anything less than completely honest with his boyfriend.

After spending a few last days together in Ohio, Burt Hummel helped his son pack up a moving van that they would drive to New York City to Kurt and Blaine's new apartment. Blaine was glad to rent out his Brownstone while he and Kurt settled into a place that was truly their own. Though Kurt protested that he wanted to pay a fair share, Blaine ultimately won out and was able to purchase them a penthouse with a large master bedroom and enough spare rooms that each boy could have his own space to play his instruments or work on sketches and clothes construction.

Blaine's piano career was still going strong, having been nominated for a Grammy the year before and a third album was in the works – this one featuring some of his own compositions. He laughed when Kurt asked if the penguins and ice cream song was going to be on the album and knew he would have to tell Kurt sooner rather than later that he was the inspiration for one of Blaine's pieces.

Kurt's move to New York City was not just to be with Blaine. His own career was about to begin, having taken an apprenticeship with one of the lead costume designers working on Broadway. Though he loved to perform, he found that creating wardrobe for different theatrical events was a bigger thrill for him and he was grateful for the opportunity to work under one of the most talented people in the industry.

Burt Hummel was sad to see his son go, but he couldn't have been more excited for Kurt. Burt loved Blaine and treated him like a son already and he knew Kurt was happy in his relationship and ready to take the next step with his boyfriend of several years. The Hummels were glad they had a two-day drive ahead of them, giving them ample time to talk about Kurt's plans for the future and just enjoy each other's company for a little while before Kurt was settled in his new home.

Blaine was over the moon when the moving van pulled up and his boyfriend jumped out of the front seat. They were finally going to be together – able to wake up in each other's arms every day instead of once or twice every few months.

After the last box was unloaded, Burt quickly excused himself with a promise to see them the following morning, allowing the boys to be alone in their new apartment. He gave Kurt a huge hug and a loving wink on his way out the door. Kurt smiled; glad to know that he had his father's blessing.

The larger pieces of furniture had arrived a couple days before and besides Kurt's boxes, the apartment was mostly set up already. The boyfriends flopped down on the couch, foreheads glistening with sweat from lugging Kurt's endless boxes of clothes and books out of the moving van all afternoon. Their legs were already tangled as they looked over and grinned at each other.

"This is really happening," Blaine chuckled in disbelief. "You're here. We live here."

Kurt smiled as he leaned forward. Blaine met him halfway and they pressed their lips, humming in contentment. Nestling back on the couch, Kurt looked at Blaine and sighed, taking in the perfect sight of his wonderful boyfriend being happy because they were together. It didn't matter that they were both red faced and smelly from moving around boxes all day, this was the epitome of utter joy for them both.

The younger boy bit the inside of his lip as he asked Blaine to slide over his messenger bag that was near Blaine's side of the couch on the floor. With an exaggerated groan, Blaine acquiesced to Kurt's request and tugged on the bag until it was within Kurt's reach.

Kurt leaned down and grabbed the strap of his bag, lugging it onto his lap. Blaine watched as his boyfriend dug around, eyebrows furrowed as Kurt searched through his bag. "Babe, you're tired. Whatever it is can wait until tomorrow." Kurt shook him off as he kept feeling around in the bottom of his bag, sprouting a huge grin when his fingers clasped around what he was searching for.

The wide smile shrunk into a determined smirk as Kurt's eyes locked on Blaine's. "Do you remember that first week we met and you told me that you could love me and that you would love me?" Blaine nodded slowly, thinking back on how he was so sure of those words and that he did love Kurt with all his heart. With one hand still in his bag, Kurt reached his free hand out for Blaine to take. "Do you remember that fight we had a couple years ago?" Blaine ducked his head in shame, not wanting to recall that horrible – but thankfully short – period in their relationship. Kurt squeezed his hand to get Blaine to look up again. "Hey, no… look at me." Blaine consented to Kurt's demand and once again looked into the eyes of his boyfriend. "Do you remember what _I_ said when you came to visit me?" Blaine cocked his head, quickly filtering through everything Kurt mentioned that night. Slowly, Kurt pulled his hand out of his bag, and in his fingers was a blue Tiffany's box. Blaine's heart didn't know whether to stop or beat faster. "I said that I would marry you someday. But I was wondering…" Without taking his hand from Blaine's, Kurt jimmied the lid off the box revealing a simple, yet elegantly masculine band of silver. "Would you marry me, Blaine?"

Tears welled up in both of their eyes as a choked whimper fell from Blaine's lips before he uttered louder than anticipated, "Yes. Yes! Oh my god, Kurt, yes!"

Kurt's bag fell from his lap as the two boys surged forward, mouths meeting in the middle. Happy tears and joy-filled kisses lasted for several moments before there was a barely audible sound of the ring hitting the floor. The boys pulled apart, eyebrows rose high as they scrambled onto the floor to look for Blaine's ring.

It was Kurt who found it first – resting underneath the couch. With a sigh of relief, Blaine leaned an elbow on the coffee table and shook his head.

"I think we better put this on you before we lose it again," Kurt teased, scooting closer to his fiancé.

Blaine held out his hand and Kurt slid the ring on slowly, a perfect fit for his perfect match.

They looked at Blaine's hand before twining their fingers together and cuddling closer together on the floor. "Tomorrow, after breakfast with you're dad, we're getting you a ring," Blaine murmured before turning his head to plant a kiss on Kurt's temple.

"Already got one picked out."

…

Despite busy rehearsal and work schedules, wedding plans fells quickly into place because the boys knew exactly what they wanted – family and food. Even though both of their careers dealt with larger than life aspects of performance, at the very core of their relationship, Kurt and Blaine were just Kurt and Blaine. They didn't want or need a huge ceremony and Kurt preferred not to get married in a church because he was not a very religious or spiritual person. Blaine respected Kurt's wishes and suggested they get married by the Justice of the Peace and then have a huge reception with their families and favorite foods. Kurt smiled at the idea and teased his fiancé, saying that he just wanted an excuse to have more of his grandma's brownies. Blaine whispered in Kurt's ear that they would soon be _his _grandma's brownies too and Kurt could barely hold in his excitement – they were getting married.

…

The wedding itself was more of a formality than anything else, but that didn't stop Kurt and Blaine from smiling so hard that their faces hurt. When they were announced as husband and husband, they leaned forward and kissed through their grin, whispering to each other "Hey husband" as they pulled apart.

Hand in hand, they walked toward their parents and brothers and everyone joined in in a big group hug.

The reception was – in a word – fun. Immediate and extended family were invited to celebrate the newlyweds in a beautifully decorated hall that was half tables and half dance floor. There weren't servers or a DJ, but a buffet set up with numerous dishes and desserts from the Hummel and Anderson families and Kurt's iPod playing out of some speakers in the corner.

Though they didn't have Best Men during the actual ceremony, Cooper took it upon himself to embarrass his brother and brother-in-law with some stories from Blaine's childhood and Kurt and Blaine's relationship over the past several years. Though Kurt stared at Cooper with dagger eyes, even he had to chuckle when Cooper shared the story of the time he walked in on the two of them role-playing as Wolverine and Cyclops in a fairly precarious position that he was pretty sure he never saw in any _X-Men_ movie.

While everyone was busy eating, Blaine stood up and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

"Um, hey. I just want to thank you all again so much for not only helping me and Kurt celebrate today, but also your unwavering support from the very beginning. Coop, you were the first person to ask me if I loved Kurt and by that point I had only known him for 48 hours. You made me realize that it was okay to feel that much that fast because sometimes you just know. Kurt, I love you and will continue to love you as long as I live. And while I'm really not great at speeches, even though I know you say you love it when I ramble – " Blaine paused while everyone including his husband chuckled, "I would be beyond honored if you would dance with me right now to what I like to think of as your song… because it is _Your Song_." Blaine's cheeks flushed bright red. "Man, that sounded so much better in my head. Anyway! I love you all, but especially my husband." Blaine's eyes widened as he looked over at Kurt for help. "Babe, dance with me?"

Kurt laughed and set his napkin down before easing out of his chair and walking toward Blaine. He kissed his husband quickly on the lips before dragging him over to the iPod. After finding the song they were looking for, they walked out onto the center of the dance floor and held each other close.

Their families watched as Blaine and Kurt got lost in the song, Blaine whispering in his husband's ear, "How wonderful life is now you're in the world."

…

The reception lasted into the wee small hours of the morning. Though Blaine and Kurt were encouraged to duck out early by almost everyone to get their wedding night activities underway, they were the last to leave, wanting to spend as much time with their loved ones as possible on their happy day. It wasn't just the joining of two men, but of two families who loved and adored each other.

Drunk on champagne and utter happiness, Kurt and Blaine meandered their way up to a hotel room that had been reserved for them by Cooper and Finn in a joint effort to kick off their brothers' first night as a married couple. After several attempts, they were finally able to get the keycard into the slot the correct way and soon they tumbled into their suite.

Mouths of both boys dropped when they saw the room. There was a California King bed in the center of the room, covered with red rose petals and colorful condom wrappers. There was a bottle of champagne on ice next to a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries set out on the nightstand and two pairs of silk pajamas stacked on the pillows. Kurt and Blaine's overnight bag was resting on a chair in the corner, looking out of place in such a swanky room.

As they shut the door behind them, Kurt pressed Blaine up against it and began mouthing hungrily at his neck. "I have wanted to do this all night," Kurt grunted as he used both hands to peel Blaine's tux jacket off.

Once his outer layer was removed, Blaine's fingers fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, willing them to open with ease. Kurt's lips had moved up to Blaine's jaw line and his fingers reached up to bury themselves in Blaine's hair, only to be thwarted by the hair gel Blaine insisted on using that day to keep his curls in check. Kurt punctuated his demand to his husband with kisses. "You need. To wash. This out." Blaine nodded and moaned as his tongue was sucked into Kurt's mouth. Kurt pulled back, causing Blaine to whimper in protest. "I'm serious, _Devon_. Wash it out while I change into something more… comfortable." They were so tipsy even the cheesiest jokes caused them to giggle like school children.

Kurt shoved Blaine toward the bathroom before turning to the bed. He ran a finger along the duvet, touching the flower petals and condoms in his path. If it weren't for the condoms, it would actually have been much like what he always thought his wedding night would be like – flowers, champagne, the most gorgeous husband on the planet. Kurt sighed with content as he held up the silk pajamas laid out for him and Blaine. He brought the fabric to his nose and inhaled deeply. Instantly his smile dropped.

Something felt off.

Though the fabric in his hand was soft and luxurious, he curled it up into a ball and tossed it aside. He quickly grabbed the other pajama set and threw it on the floor as well. Handfuls of rose petals and condoms decorated the carpet before Kurt put both hands on the side of the bed and started pushing it toward the corner of the room. He was so focused on trying to move the bed that he didn't hear the water in the bathroom shut off or the door open.

"I realized I forgot my pajamas, but then I thought I probably didn't need any because – " Blaine cut himself off when he saw his still-dressed to the nines husband trying to shove the huge bed by himself. "What are you doing, Kurt?"

Clad only in a towel, Blaine crossed the short distance to his husband and put a free hand on his shoulder. Kurt dropped to the floor, shaking his head and muttering to himself, "It's all wrong. This is all wrong."

Blaine sunk to the floor next to his husband, thinking the worst, but trying really hard not to assume. "What's wrong, babe?"

Kurt ran a hand through his hair as he gestured around the room with his other hand. "This." He grabbed some rose petals off the floor and threw them aside. "These." He pointed to the silk pajamas on the floor a few feet away from them. "Those. It's all wrong." Before Blaine could even ask what he meant by that, Kurt positioned himself so that he could face his husband. Seeing fear in Blaine's eyes, Kurt leaned over and gave him a slow, reassuring kiss before leaning his forehead against his husband. "I love you, Blaine. And I thought I wanted all the flowers and silk pajamas and stuff, but I don't. I just want you." Tears were sliding down his cheeks and Blaine reached up to gently wipe them away. "Do you remember the first time we slept together? At Coop's apartment?" Blaine nodded and smiled at the memory. "I want that again," Kurt whispered.

Without saying a word, Blaine crawled over and grabbed their overnight bag before settling back down next to his husband. Silently, he unzipped the bag and pulled out two pairs of checked pajama pants and a couple old t-shirts before placing them in Kurt's lap. Though tears, Kurt grinned and let out a short laugh, not expecting Blaine to have packed their everyday pajamas.

"Why don't you slip into this, Mr. Anderson-Hummel," Blaine said softly before leaning in and purring in his husband's ear, "So then I can slip you out of it…" His words trailed off as he started sucking on Kurt's jaw.

Kurt shivered with delight and closed his eyes, reeling in the sensation of Blaine's mouth on his body.

With a parting kiss, Kurt shakily stood up before heading into the bathroom to splash cold water on his face and change into his pajamas.

While his husband was out of the room, Blaine dropped his towel and put on his own pajamas pants a t-shirt, completely happy to oblige his husband's wish to recreate their first night together. It was only after he gave a secondary glance at the room did Blaine realize what Kurt was doing when he walked out of the bathroom after his shower – Kurt was moving the bed. For him. Even when he was tipsy, Kurt was thinking of making things good for him. For them.

Blaine heard the shower turn on and realized Kurt would be a few minutes longer than he initially thought. With the additional time to himself, Blaine finished shoving the bed into the corner and made sure all the rose petals were in the trashcan. Though the condoms were meant to be a joke, they were actually an oddly thoughtful gesture. However, Blaine threw them all in their overnight bag - they hadn't been using condoms for years now since they were both tested and had only ever been with each other.

Smiling as he heard Kurt singing to himself in the shower, Blaine flopped down on the bed and stared at the ceiling, playing over the events of the day in his head. After a couple minutes, he realized he was fiddling with the ring on his finger. Pulling his hand away from his wedding band, he saw his scars and was grateful for them. They were a constant reminder of what his life was as a bullied little boy with a gift for music. Though Kurt never knew that boy, he repeatedly told Blaine that he was proud of him for persevering. In those moments, Blaine felt so loved and knew that he went through such a horrible experience because it eventually led him to Kurt.

Blaine still kicked himself every now and again for not immediately being open and honest with Kurt when they first met. The older boy didn't know how to handle the situation because he didn't really know at that point who he was. It was Kurt who finally made him see that he didn't have to be either Devon Anderson (professional pianist) or Blaine Anderson (rambling, smitten 20something) – he just had to be himself.

This newfound sense of self looked good on Blaine. He was able to take more pride in his career and work hard to play for others and himself the best that he could. Though he still had to look the part when he was on stage, Blaine still felt like Blaine while he was performing. He didn't feel like he had to pretend anymore – knowing that he had the love and support of the man he was going to spend the rest of his life with.

Lost in his thoughts, Blaine didn't hear Kurt come out of the bathroom until he was startled by his husband clearing his throat. He couldn't help but smile, which in turn made Kurt smile curiously. They were both mostly sober by this point and even though they were already alone, it somehow felt more intimate than usual.

"What?" Kurt asked shyly as his grin spread even further across his face.

Blaine shook his head. "Nothing. You just look cute in your pajamas is all."

Kurt rolled his eyes, thinking his husband was being ridiculous and wonderful all at once. "I'm in a t-shirt, Blaine."

The pianist's smile grew wider. "I know." Blaine reached out a hand for his husband to take. "It's kinda adorable. _You're_ kinda adorable." Blaine tugged Kurt's hand and the younger man laid down on the bed beside him. "We're kinda adorable."

"We're kinda married," Kurt replied.

With that, Blaine let out a chuckle. "Yeah, we are, aren't we?"

They quickly wrapped their arms around each other and held tight, enjoying the familiarity of being so close and the newness of being husbands.

Blaine sighed, happier than he had ever been in his entire life. He had a wonderful family, a career that he was proud of and the man he loved more than anything in the world right there in his arms. Though they were forced to deal with bullying on their own, they overcame loneliness, heartache and distance together. In that moment, Blaine felt invincible - he didn't have to pretend like he had it all, because he actually did.


End file.
